To Say These Words
by 2good2betrue
Summary: Not realizing the impact of her choice, Rachel decides to use Mark to get back at Ross. This leads Ross to accept an incredible offer to be on TV. Sometimes we grow to regret our decisions, but the courage to say the right words, at the right moment, can change everything. - A "what if" during TOW The Tiny T-shirt. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Here I am, back with another story. **

**I came up with this idea about a year ago; I felt like I needed my writing to develop a bit before I pulled it out of the vault. Even though I'm longing to write a high school/college Ross and Rachel story, I really want to do this one first. **

**This story will take place in TOW the Tiny T-shirt. Then, similar to some of my previous stories, I'll put my own twist on it and continue from there.**

**Please enjoy and review.**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends and the lines from the show do not belong to me.**

* * *

Patiently she awaited his arrival. She had agreed to have dinner with him. She waited for him to meet her at her apartment.

_I've kind of had this ah, this crush on you. But since you were with Ross, I-I didn't do anything about it. But, now that you're not, I'd really like to ask you out sometime. So-so that's-that's what I'm doing, now._

Mark's words surged through her memory as she spent her final minutes of alone time getting ready.

She recalled talking to Phoebe after Mark revealed his feelings. Rachel had set her heart on telling him she couldn't go out with him; it was too soon to be seeing other people. She knew she wasn't ready to move on from Ross, not with their relationship fresh in her mind.

Giving him back the belongings he had left in her apartment was supposed to be symbolic, even refreshing. Having no reminders of their relationship around her was supposed to symbolize her willingness to move on; it was meant to be a motivational way to help her forget.

However, another quarrel arose between the couple, ending with Ross taking his "Frankie Says Relax" t-shirt out of spite. He claimed he was only helping Rachel move on, in fact, he claimed he himself had moved on.

This bold statement gave Rachel an idea, a way to get Ross back for his wrong doings. If he claimed to have moved on, surely he wouldn't mind if she accepted the date with Mark after all. It may have been a very juvenile way to handle the situation, but what harm could be done by teasing Ross for a bit?

Rachel began to pace across the kitchen floor, the heels of her shoes clicking in time with the passing seconds.

Mark saw this as a first date, the beginning of something more. It would devastate him if he knew the reason Rachel had agreed to dinner.

His knock on the door sent her heart pounding, creeping into her throat with nervousness.

"I'm coming," Rachel called, taking a deep breath as she approached the door. She tried to think of this as a regular date. She could kill two birds with one stone: make Ross jealous and, at the same time, attempt to leave their relationship in the past.

She gripped the doorknob, letting the tension flow from her hot palms. She twisted it, having gathered her courage.

"Hi… You look lovely tonight," Mark commented, calmly standing in the doorway. His gaze travelled to look her over for an instant.

The compliment left a bitter-sweet taste in Rachel's mouth - it felt strange to hear those words from Mark, nevertheless, his genuine compliment was thoughtful.

"Thank you," Rachel responded softly. "Why don't you come in a moment? I just have to grab a jacket."

"Sure," Mark replied, taking off his overcoat as he hurried across the threshold. Rachel closed the door behind him.

…..

They paused in the hallway between apartment 19 and 20, chatting about Chandler's hair problems after a workout. When the familiar creak of the door echoed through the cavernous hall, Ross couldn't help but glance in its direction. The men fell silent.

Ross' breath caught in his throat when he saw Rachel exit her apartment. A split second later, he wasn't able to breathe; not when he saw who closely followed her.

Nothing could have prepared him to see Mark.

Tension filled the air as Mark closed the door behind the pair. Rachel nervously passed Ross and Chandler, Mark wasn't far behind. Ross' disappointed stare met her eyes for a second, until he could only watch Mark in shock.

The more he wanted to tear his eyes away, the more his eyes disobeyed him. He wanted to scream or cry out in frustration.

Rachel was going on a date with Mark? Of all the men she could have chosen to go out with, she had chosen Mark. He swore taking a knife to the heart would have hurt less.

Rachel had accomplished her plan; her plan to cause Ross pain.

Victory did not taste as sweet as she'd hoped; not with the look on Ross' face engraved in her mind.

…..

She observed him from across the table. He bobbed his head as he spoke with enthusiasm. The shifting strands of his hair gleaming in the dim light. His soft eyes were comforting, as was his company. They had mostly been making conversation about fashion. Rachel enjoyed talking to someone who had similar interests as her.

Presently, Rachel stared at the tabletop in front of her. She wasn't truly seeing it; it was just something to rest her eyes on as she lost herself in a sea of thoughts. Mark continued to talk, although, his voice became only a mumble by the time it reached Rachel's ears.

He was a great friend. He got her a job; ultimately, he helped her get on the career track she wanted. He was charming, good looking, smart, and yet she couldn't see him as anything more than a friend.

Suddenly, Mark's voice faded away and she could feel him staring at her intently.

"I'm sorry, I, uh, must have zoned out. What did you say?" Rachel asked, cringing slightly in sorrow.

"I asked if you were okay," Mark repeated, noticing Rachel's sudden quietness.

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry, I was just… thinking," Rachel answered, swiftly snapping out of her thoughts to focus on her date. Her mind spun at an overwhelming rate, a rate that made her temples throb in protest.

"How's your dinner?" Mark asked, initiating their small talk once more.

"It's, um, wonderful. Thank you," Rachel responded, reinforcing her answer by taking a bite of her dinner. A blushing smile crossed her face when Mark began to look at her oddly.

"Can I ask you something?" Mark questioned, out of the blue.

"Of course, go ahead," Rachel answered, very curious to hear his next words. She took the opportunity to take a sip of her drink.

"If you don't mind me asking: what happened between you and, um, Ross?" Mark questioned nervously. He was genuinely interested to hear her response.

Rachel was taken aback, so much so that she nearly inhaled her white wine; she hadn't expected that to be his question. As she placed the glass on the table she sensed Mark's curious gaze burrowing into her.

"It's difficult to explain. One minute everything was incredible… then my job got in the way and things just fell apart," Rachel described, she stared past Mark as she softly spoke. It was the first time she'd ever explained it to someone outside her group of friends, and it hurt. It hurt to think back to when she was happy with Ross.

"Things must have ended badly if that's the tension you feel when you're near him," Mark commented, he recalled watching the couple interact earlier that evening.

"Ross slept with someone else," Rachel whispered, tears quickly pooling in her eyes, filling her vision. She didn't know why she was compelled to reveal this fact; it just flowed from her like blood from a wound.

"I'm sorry to hear-," Mark began to apologise, but Rachel interjected.

"It really hurt, to know he was with someone else. He apologised, but I couldn't forgive him. I still can't forgive him," Rachel admitted, entranced in a serious whisper.

She couldn't understand Ross' thought process. He was in love with her, why would he choose sleeping with someone else over fighting for their relationship? He was upset that she was with Mark at the very moment he phoned, but that couldn't be used as an excuse to sleep with Chloe.

She carefully hid her anger from Mark as she thought of Ross; the anger that drove her to stay out with him this evening.

On a break or not on a break, sleeping with her was not the right choice for Ross to have made.

If they _were_ on a break, he obviously chose sleeping with Chloe over fixing their relationship. If they _weren't_ on a break, he cheated.

It was a confusing time for the both of them. Rachel's job became an obstacle between them while Ross' jealousy over Mark weighed on both their shoulders.

It led them to make impulsive decisions, decisions they would grow to regret.

"I'm sorry to bring it up," Mark apologised, placing his hand over Rachel's on the table.

"Well, enough about me, what happened to your girlfriend?" Rachel lightheartedly questioned, feeling the need to change the subject.

"The truth is that, I broke up with my girlfriend so I could have a chance to be with you," Mark confessed, his intense gaze falling on Rachel.

Rachel didn't know what to say, she didn't know how to react. Should she take it as a compliment, that he wanted to be with her enough to end his other relationship? Or should it make her feel guilty?

"That's very… kind," Rachel chose to answer, protecting his feelings, playing along.

It was pure luck that the waiter stopped by their table at that very moment, disrupting what would have become an awkward silence.

"Can I bring you the bill?" He asked, as he cleared the couple's empty plates.

"Yes, please," Mark answered, turning his vision off of Rachel to the waiter. The gentleman took the dishes back to the kitchen, leaving the two in each other's company once more.

"Would you like to come back to my place for tea or coffee?" Rachel asked, remembering Monica would still be out.

"That sounds great," Mark answered, flashing a bright smile. Rachel couldn't help but smile in return.

…..

Rachel handed Mark a pair if mugs, causing him to notice the numbers on the bottom of each. Rachel attempted to explain Monica's need to be organized, prompting laughter from them both.

Rachel walked past Mark to take a seat at the kitchen table, she smiled up at him.

Out of nowhere, Mark leaned down towards her. He hesitated slightly but soon pressed his lips against Rachel's, leaving her stunned. She didn't have much time to stop him, and, feeling vulnerable, she didn't make an effort to stop him.

His mouth felt strange against hers, even if the kiss didn't last very long. She didn't kiss him back; she was frozen in place. It didn't feel right having him kiss her without knowing the truth behind this date. It didn't feel right knowing how Ross would feel.

An image of Ross crossed her mind, a recollection from when they passed him in the hall.

He had worn an expression that reminded her of when they broke up. The light had vanished from his eyes, only to leave darkness in its wake. Heartache glistened in his longing gaze.

Mark pulled away from her, briefly. When he attempted to kiss her again, it snapped her out of her numb state. Flinching away from his kiss, Rachel stood from her chair.

Mark looked at her strangely, believing he had crossed a line she wasn't ready to cross. Had he read her body language wrong? Did she not want to kiss him?

"You know what?" Rachel uttered hurriedly.

"No. And I don't think I want to," Mark stated, he straightened up, remaining the chair's distance from Rachel.

"I can't do this," Rachel cringed.

"Yep. Yep, that's what I didn't want to know," Mark affirmed, nodding.

"Well, oh, Mark, I'm doing this for the wrong reasons, y'know? I'm just doing it to get back at Ross. I'm sorry, it's not very fair to you," Rachel explained, her voice as gentle as she could manage with the emotion that caught up to her.

"That's okay. I'm here for you if you want to get back at him," Mark answered. Rachel was about to laugh, thinking he was joking, but he was serious.

"What?" Rachel asked. She furrowed her eyebrows, crossing her arms.

"I'm just thinking it could be a win-win situation. You would get to make Ross jealous, get him back, and I would get to date you," Mark stated, positively. Mark didn't want to let Rachel go, he knew she was meant to be with him, not Ross. He figured if he could get her to go out with him for a while longer he could win her over.

"I don't know," Rachel answered. She thought about his suggestion for a moment. What he suggested was so wrong, yet she was fascinated. She could get Ross back and, in the meantime, give a kind man like Mark a chance. Suddenly the urge to get back at Ross overcame the guilt she felt. She was back in her state of anger.

Mark made her think: maybe there were other men out there for her. Sure this wasn't the ideal beginning to a relationship; be that as it may, Mark liked her. It was shocking that he was okay with this, that he would go along with her plan.

Could this be taken as a sign to move on from Ross?

…..

Exhausted from his evening with Chandler, Ross immediately planned on going to bed.

He had obsessed over trying to keep tabs on Mark and Rachel's date; he had used most of his energy to attempt to stop whatever was happening between them afterwards, that is, if anything did happen.

It was an impulse and an abundant amount of energy that came from deep within his core. He didn't like Mark; he had an ominous feeling that he wasn't as noble as he came off. Whether or not Ross was dating Rachel he wanted to protect her from this man.

Chandler had been able to talk sense into his friend. He had convinced Ross that Rachel had moved on, their relationship was over. It was time for him to move on too.

It stung to hear those words. Ross missed Rachel; he couldn't accept that it was truly over between them. He couldn't accept that she had moved on so quickly. It all happened so fast.

But, no matter how terrible Rachel had made him feel earlier, he couldn't stay angry with her.

He wanted to be angry; angry that she did have feelings for Mark while they were dating - why else would she go out with him immediately after they broke up? Angry that all they could do was bicker; that they couldn't work this out.

He wished he could turn back time, change the way he had acted, fix the problems that were present. No matter how mad he seemed on the outside, on the inside he still loved her with all his heart.

The box called to him from his bedroom; the box that seemed to contain his relationship with Rachel, the box that he didn't want to unpack. Having those items returned to him, having them back in his apartment, only reminded him that his relationship with Rachel was over.

Ross drifted closer to it. The box was on his bed, where he had set it down. Peering over the cardboard side his attention was immediately captured by the white fabric of the "Frankie Says Relax" t-shirt.

The minute he lifted it from the box, holding it in his hands, it pulled at his heartstrings.

Sadness washed over him. He couldn't help but be reminded of Rachel or how broken-hearted he was.

There was only one thing he could do; something to help him move on as well. If it had worked for Rachel, it might work for him. He tossed the t-shirt onto his bed and went into his closet, finding a box of his own.

Patrolling around his apartment, he gathered things that belonged to Rachel. A bottle of shampoo, a few CDs, movies, books, anything that she'd left behind. When he returned to his bedroom he went through his drawers, easily filling the box.

He paused when he spotted the t-shirt once more, laying across his comforter. He picked it up once again, running his hand across the soft fabric. He let out a depressed sigh, making the decision to place it in the box along with Rachel's possessions.

He wanted her to have the t-shirt; it was a peace offering, at the very least. It was a token to show that he still cared about her feelings. He hoped it would show how sorry he was.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Looks like I'm only going to be able to update once a week. I apologise, but I've been extremely busy lately.**

**Thanks for the reviews. I know the last chapter wasn't very eventful, but that will change soon. As always, please let me know what you think.**

**Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

Ross strode up the staircase, the box of Rachel's belongings in his hands. The cardboard handles pressed into his palms as he carried the lidded package.

He had made his decision, if he were to stop now it would most likely cause him to turn around and abandon this task.

These few items, exchanged between them, held so much power. They were officially over the moment he gave this box to her, and he didn't want to think about that fact. They would soon have no visual reminders of their relationship; it would be only memories.

Ross felt the need to do this. Somehow, he needed to stop being reminded of the relationship they'd lost. That feeling he got in the pit of his stomach when he saw Rachel was enough. Having constant reminders of her, scatted throughout his apartment, was too much. This was a step in the right direction.

Of course, his competitive side shone through, the driving force behind this decision. Returning this box to Rachel brought them closer to being even; they were nearly tied in the game of moving on.

Except Rachel was with Mark.

As Ross approached the forest green door, the brass 20 staring him in the eye, he took a deep breath. He carefully shifted the box in order to tuck it under his arm, freeing one hand. He quickly knocked on the wooden door before entering the apartment.

"Hey Ross," Monica greeted when she spotted her brother in the doorway. She was seated at the kitchen table, chopping up a few vegetables for dinner.

"Hi. I, uh, have a box to return to Rachel, is she here?" Ross asked. He walked further into the apartment, travelling into the living room where Phoebe and Chandler sat.

"No, she's still at work. You can put it on the coffee table if you'd like," Monica stated, revolving in the chair to face Ross.

"I'll leave it here then," Ross confirmed, bending down to place the box on the table. He stared at it one last time, when he returned to standing upright, before relocating his gaze to the floor.

Chandler noticed Ross' discomfort immediately.

Chandler couldn't get the moment out of his head, being frozen in place beside Ross as Mark and Rachel passed them in the hall. After that, Ross had acted strange all night, which was understandable. Who wants to see their ex happily dating someone else?

He remembered seeing Ross leave the night previous, saying he needed to be alone. Even if Chandler didn't show his sensitive side all the time, his humor often became a way to escape awkward situations, he cared about Ross' happiness.

Ross was taking this hard. Mark was replacing Ross at Rachel's side. There was not much Chandler could do to help Ross, help him feel better. He could only encourage his friend to move on. By letting go of Rachel, Ross would eventually stop hurting.

"You okay, man?" Chandler asked, putting his magazine down to focus on Ross. Phoebe eagerly listened to the conversation, wanting to hear Ross' response as well.

"Um, yeah, I'm okay," Ross declared, shifting nervously. Phoebe hid her smile, Ross was a terrible liar: he was certainly not okay.

"What's with the box?" Chandler questioned, pointing in the direction of the coffee table.

"I'm, well, I'm returning a few of Rachel's belongings… like she did for me," Ross explained carefully, shifting with nervousness.

"Do you have plans for dinner? You're welcome to stay," Monica said, changing the subject for Ross' sake.

"I need to get home - I've got some stuff to do. I just wanted to drop these things off for Rachel. It's only fair," Ross explained.

"She told me about the argument you guys got into, and Chandler told me about Mark," Monica spoke.

"You know what: I don't care," Ross stated confidently, attempting to sound light-hearted.

The conversation was cut short when the apartment door swung open.

"Hey," Rachel spoke, promptly hanging up her coat as she arrived.

"Hey Rach, how was work?" Monica asked.

"It was great, although-," her words trailed off as soon as she turned to see Ross. He stood awkwardly in the living room, watching her with a blank expression. She felt like a deer in the headlights; she froze, becoming tongue-tied.

"I-I thought I'd return a box of your things," Ross hurriedly clarified; it was the first thing that came to his mind.

"Oh, that's, uh… thank you," Rachel stuttered.

With that, the awkward moment between Ross and Rachel was over. The conversation started up again when Ross took a seat beside Chandler on the sofa. Rachel joined Monica in the kitchen after a short while.

Everyone was pleased Ross and Rachel could stand to be in the same room together, they didn't talk to each other but they also didn't fight.

After a few minutes had passed, Ross noticed the time. He couldn't suppress his idea much longer, the idea he had come up with the moment he'd seen Rachel enter the apartment. He wanted to take this opportunity to speak to Rachel. So, before he left, he wandered into the kitchen.

"Rach, can I talk to you for a minute?" Ross asked, carefully moving into Rachel's view.

"Sure, Ross, what's up?" Rachel replied, trying to sound breezy while her insides knotted with nerves.

"Can we speak in private?" Ross added, glancing at their friends who were situated within hearing range.

"Let's go on the balcony," Rachel declared, getting up from her seat.

Ross nodded, turning to walk towards the angled loft window and access to the balcony. He slid the window open with a fair amount of effort. He carefully climbed through it, stepping over the low wall whist ducking.

Rachel was not far behind; he rotated to face her, waiting as she climbed through the window as well. He put his hands in his pockets - the air was cool against his exposed skin.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" Rachel asked, not wasting a second of their time alone.

"I wanted to tell you that… I can't stand seeing you with Mark," Ross admitted, he didn't want to hide the fact that he didn't like this situation. He needed her to know what his thoughts were.

"What?" Rachel asked, taken aback by his uncharacteristic honesty.

"Mark is not a good guy for you. There's something about him that's not right," Ross described; he didn't know what it was that made Mark seem so unsuitable, he couldn't put his finger on it. Mark just had a vibe about him.

"Ross, would you stop? You just can't accept the fact that I've moved on, can you?" Rachel asked. Ross brought out her agitation. Her need to make him jealous took a front seat.

"Have you really fallen for Mark, or is this some twisted idea he's put in your head?" Ross inquired, becoming heated in response to Rachel's aggression.

"Why are you so against Mark? Can't you give him a chance?"

"I don't trust him," Ross declared.

"Ross. We have to move forward. You hurt me and Mark is the person who makes me feel better. He's a good friend," Rachel explained confidently.

"Fine. If you want to be with him that's your choice," Ross stated. Then he looked at her seriously. "I only wish, of all the people, you weren't dating Mark," Ross admitted, calming slightly.

"He's a good friend, he deserves a chance," Rachel said. It slowly became easier to follow her plan. It began to feel good to let her anger out, it felt good to put Ross through a little pain.

"I don't know how he's brainwashed you into thinking he's a good person, but see this from my angle, Rach. He waited for us to break apart a little bit before driving a wedge between us. A decent man wouldn't do something like that," Ross explained firmly.

"A decent man also wouldn't sleep with someone else," Rachel argued. As soon as the words left her mouth she regretted saying them. If her plan was to hurt him, the look on his face let her know she'd accomplished just that.

Ross expression quickly flowed from pain to rage. He couldn't put up with this any longer. If Rachel wanted to hold that against him, so be it. They needed to resolve this.

"You know Rachel, I wasn't completely ready to move on, but if that's how you're going to act I may as well move on too," Ross stated, a mocking tone to his voice.

They didn't pay attention to their friends who observed them from inside. Their quarrel left them entranced in listening to their conversation instead of watching the television. Ross and Rachel didn't pay attention to their investigating gazes, or concerned faces. They were wrapped up in their argument, in their own world.

Ross only continued as if he were fuelled by his anger.

"There's a woman at the museum that I've been interested in asking out," Ross said, smugly. Rachel looked at him with a doubtful gaze, crossing her arms.

"And?" She prompted him, impatiently crossing her arms.

"I didn't ask her out because I thought it was too soon to start dating other people when I'm-," Ross stopped abruptly, mid-speech. He caught his tongue before admitting he was still was in love with Rachel.

"When you're what, Ross?" Rachel inquired, bitterly. Ross cleared his throat, his heart pounding as he wracked his brain for something to say.

"When it's only been a few weeks since we broke up," Ross finished, hoping that would cover up his mistake.

He couldn't tell Rachel the truth. He couldn't say those three words. He didn't want to admit he still loved her when she had obviously moved on. She was with Mark now. He couldn't do that to her when h had hurt her so much.

Admitting the truth wouldn't do either of them any good. Not now.

"I'm glad we could talk," Ross spoke, after an awkward silence. "But I should go."

"Alright, see you later… I hope we're okay," Rachel replied, lightening up despite the tense atmosphere.

"Don't worry, I get the hint that things are over between us. I'll move on, if that's what you mean," Ross said, surprizing Rachel with his enthusiasm. "See you soon," Ross answered. He hesitated, but then strode past her to exit the balcony.

Rachel turned around as he passed. Noticing the conversation come to a close, the rest of the friends acted quickly, busying themselves with various tasks. They couldn't let Ross and Rachel know they had watched their entire dispute through the window.

Rachel didn't want to follow right away; she needed a minute to process her conversation with Ross. She let out a long puff of air, wandering across the balcony with her arms still wrapped tightly around her chest.

She turned her back to the window, reaching the railing of the balcony. She placed her hands on the frigid stone, resting on the low wall. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a familiar voice called to her.

"Sorry. I-I just wanted to give this to you, before I left," Ross explained, carefully. Rachel looked at the box Ross held out to her, crossing the short distance between them.

"Thanks," Rachel spoke, realizing what he was doing. He was returning her possessions. She took the box from his hands, their eyes meeting for a brief moment as the transfer was made.

"Bye, Rach," Ross said, with a shy smile.

"Yeah, bye," Rachel stuttered.

She watched him as he hoped back through the window. She watched him as he waved to Phoebe, patted Chandler's shoulder then said goodbye to Monica - he gave a short goodbye to each of their friends.

Rachel put the box down, carefully balancing it on the windowsill. She stopped in her tracks when she removed the lid. Under the lid sat the "Frankie Says Relax" t-shirt, folded neatly on top of the pile.

She paused for a second, resting a hand over her heart, in awe of Ross' kind gesture. Rachel picked up the shirt, feeling the soft fabric against her fingertips.

She brought the shirt to her nose, inhaling its aroma. It was laced with a sweet smell that reminded her of Ross.

Tears immediately flooded down her cheeks, the wet trails becoming icy in the frigid wind. As she held the t-shirt, she knew immediately that she had made a terrible mistake in trying to make Ross jealous by dating Mark.

She treaded towards the railing of the balcony, once again. This time she peered down at the street below, yellow taxis filling the roads, pedestrians scurrying like ants. Then she swore she spotted him, Ross striding down the sidewalk at a quickened pace. She held the shirt tightly in her arms as she kept an eye on Ross.

She couldn't do this to him anymore.

…..

Ross wedged his hands deep into the pockets of his coat, hunching as he walked down the street. He passed people who opted to flag down a taxi, but Ross decided against hailing a cab, despite the long trek back to his apartment. It felt refreshing to walk home in the crisp evening. He lost himself in his thoughts.

His thoughts were centred on none other than Rachel.

He pictured their good times together, kissing in Central Perk, their first 'I love you's. He remembered how wonderful it felt to hold her close, or whisper sweet nothings in her ear, or hug and kiss her when he pleased.

But, he couldn't distract himself from their bad times for very long. Their break up and arguments constantly flooding through his memories, washing away the good times.

Their recent discussion came to mind, no matter how hard he tried to block it out. He couldn't ignore what had just transpired. Their quarrel definitely let him know where Rachel stood.

_A decent man also wouldn't sleep with someone else_

Her words had hurt him immensely. Knowing that he'd done wrong already hurt, then, like salt in a cut, having her say those words only added to his pain.

He presumed he had to move on, he had told Rachel that's what he would do. It might let her heal, it might let her find it in her heart to forgive him.

Ross wasn't lying when he told her about the woman at the museum. He didn't want to ask her out because he loved Rachel; he knew he wouldn't be able to get over her as fast as she'd gotten over him. On the other hand, maybe asking this woman out would be a step in the right direction. Rachel was now with Mark, perhaps he needed to date someone new also.

Ross and Rachel were officially broken up; he knew this fact the moment he had confirmed it by returning her things. He had given her back the tiny t-shirt, there was nothing left of their relationship.

He had made sure to clear every last reminder of Rachel from his apartment. The t-shirt was only the tip of the iceberg. He had put away every picture of the two of them together, he had returned every article of clothing she'd left at his place.

There was nothing left to salvage, no more pieces left to pick up and try to glue together. It was over.

Ross wondered if asking another woman out was the right choice. Would it make Rachel jealous? Maybe. Was it the best choice, dating someone else when his feelings for Rachel continued to burn bright? No, it probably wasn't his best idea.

Despite his reluctance and hesitancy, Ross came to the conclusion to try to move on. If Rachel could do it, couldn't he?

It was time for him to take a chance, for once, leap without knowing where he would land.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Surprised I found the time to write? I am as well. ;)**

**Please enjoy. **

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

"Your Diet Coke," Mark announced as he entered the living room once again.

"Oh, thanks," Rachel responded, taking the cold glass from his hand. After her day at work, she decided she needed to see Mark. She had found his apartment, now she was seated upon his sofa.

"So, what is it that you needed to talk to me about?" Mark asked. He sensed Rachel's discomfort as her eyes scanned his apartment.

Rachel leaned forward on his brown sofa, placing her drink on the coffee table in front of her knees. She leaned back against the cushions once more, and then spoke.

"I don't think I can do this anymore," Rachel stated, watching as Mark's expression twisted in confusion.

"You can't do what, exactly?" Mark asked, hoping he was interpreting her statement the wrong way.

"I can't do this to Ross," Rachel clarified. "I can't use you to get him back. It's not fair to any one of us."

Mark set his drink down as well, shifting in his chair. Rachel could see the gears turning in his mind; she could tell he was formulating an argument.

"Please, don't think of this that way," Mark pleaded. "I want to be with you," He said, looking at Rachel intensely.

"I don't know," Rachel admitted. She remembered Ross' gesture of returning the t-shirt, she remembered his hurt expression - they were two memories that wouldn't disappear.

"Just hear me out," Mark suggested, holding her gaze.

"Okay, I'm listening," Rachel stated, curious to hear what he would say.

"I think it's best to let go of Ross. And I say this with only your feelings in mind. He cheated on you, he hurt you. Can you really trust that he won't do that again?" Mark explained.

Rachel was about to lose it on Mark, call him out for knowing nothing about Ross to be passing those types of judgements, but, was Mark right?

Why was it she thought she could move on before? It all came down to the fact that she and Ross hurt each other, and that he slept with someone else. They were better as friends. It was better when Ross wasn't possessive or jealous, when she didn't have a relationship _and_ a job to maintain.

If she moved on and he moved on they could be friends again. They could put all the pain and chaos behind them and move on with life. They couldn't keep running in circles, it was getting tiring.

"You really think this is best?" Rachel asked, hoping he'd offer some form of reassurance.

"He _deserves_ it Rachel. What happened to the plan we had?" Mark said.

"I guess I just wanted to make sure I was making the right choice," Rachel stated, softly.

"I promise you, this is for the better. Ross will move on," Mark defended. He couldn't lose Rachel; if he had to fight to make her forget her past relationship, he would gladly do so. Once he succeeded in helping her, he knew they would be great together.

"He did say he was going to ask some woman out from the museum…" Rachel remembered. With that, it came flooding back to her, their argument. Mark had a point. She had made Ross realize that she had moved on, in turn he was moving on as well. She had set out to move on, hadn't she? Wasn't she supposed to make Ross jealous and move on at the same time?

She had to remember that it wouldn't be easy to get back together. First, there was the matter of settling their dispute, and then they would have Mark and this other woman to deal with.

"Exactly. He's going to meet someone else," Mark exclaimed, before he calmed into a serious tone. "Please, Rachel, give me a chance to show you how much I care about you. I guarantee I'll help you get over him."

"I don't want to use you," Rachel stated.

"You won't be using me…" Mark stated, before pausing a short while. "Rachel, I love you."

Rachel had to control her surprise.

"You don't need to say it back; I only want you to know how I feel," Mark stated, watching Rachel calm after his clarification.

"I-I, well, thank you," Rachel stuttered, unsure how to respond. She reached out and took his hand, attempting to wipe the nervous look off his face. He seemed so genuine, so gentle and kind. It was just another reason to continue to date him. His words restored the warmth that had vanished from her heart a short while ago, the warmth that left along with Ross' relationship.

"Can I take you out to dinner?" Mark asked, softly rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"That would be lovely," Rachel accepted.

…..

She tugged the jacket off of her shoulders, placing it upon the chair. Mark stood on the opposite side of the table, taking a seat in his chair. He smiled at Rachel, a gesture that she returned, that is until she looked past Mark to see a person who caught her eye.

Rachel stared right through Mark towards the restaurant's bar. A sick feeling prickled across her skin, twisting her stomach from deep within.

He was perched on a barstool at the high counter. He was all the way across the dimly lit room and she still knew it was him. Ross; he wasn't alone, he was with another woman.

This had to be a joke, right? This was a bizarre coincidence. What were the odds that Ross would be at this exact restaurant, at this exact time, when there were hundreds of other places to eat in Manhattan?

Rachel took her seat, in an awkward fashion, as she continued to stare at Ross and the woman that sat close to him. Rachel examined the woman head to toe. Her black hair was swept into a bun, she was tall and slender, and her clothes indicated that she was ready for a night on the town. All and all, she was beautiful.

Mark drew Rachel's attention back into the conversation. But, even he wasn't enough to distract her from stealing quick glances at Ross for the remainder of the night.

She stayed fixated on Mark. Ross was in the past, she shouldn't feel like this. This may have been making him jealous, but now that was not her intention. Her intention was to move on.

…..

The taste of the bitter liquid tingled across his taste buds as he took another sip from the beer bottle. They sat at the bar, casually chatting about the museum.

Ross noticed the sparkle in her eye as she looked at him. They would click perfectly if it weren't for the fact that Ross' mind was elsewhere.

Her smile began to remind her of Rachel's; he eventually compared her eyes to Rachel's. No matter what he did, he couldn't stop comparing this woman to Rachel. At the moment, he couldn't picture himself with anyone other than Rachel, but that dream drifted away from him with every day Rachel spent with Mark.

He knew it would hurt less to be equal to her once more, to be dating someone while she was with Mark.

Would this be how it would feel from this point on? If he couldn't be with Rachel would he always be inclined to compete against her?

He didn't want to think that way, focusing on only distressing thoughts. Instead, he focused on the woman who sat upon the barstool in front of him. Marian.

He needed to make an effort to get over Rachel - it was time.

Marian laughed at his jokes; she was genuinely interested in hearing his ramblings about science. He was glad she had agreed to go out tonight; asking her out at the museum was nerve-racking, he was certain he made a fool of himself trying to be flirtatious. But, he was having a great time with her, and she seemed to enjoy his company just the same.

"I'll be right back, I need to use the restroom," Marian announced at a pause in the conversation.

"Of course," Ross replied. Marian hopped down from the chair, swinging her purse over her shoulder as she departed.

Ross scanned the restaurant, tapping his fingers on the counter as he waited for his date to return. The murmur of the tables of people became understandable every so often, as he overheard a few conversations. Then a bout of laughter caught his attention, it sounded familiar.

His wandering eyes found Rachel in no time; he easily picked her out of the crowd. He was aware that the man with her was Mark. It immediately hit Ross that she was on another date with Mark; that thought alone wiped away his plans of moving on.

How did he think he could move on from Rachel so soon? It was obvious he still wanted to be with her. He would give anything to be the one sitting across from her at this very moment. He wished he was on a date with her once more. No matter how smart or funny Marian was, she wasn't able to fill the hole that was left in his heart.

As Ross observed Rachel and Mark, he felt disgusted. The way she gazed into his eyes made his chest feel tight. He suddenly felt like he had run full speed into a brick wall. It hurt to watch Mark take her hand, whispering something that made Rachel smile her brightest smile.

"Another drink, sir?" The bartender asked, causing Ross to turn around to face him.

"Yes, please," Ross responded quickly. He knew he needed another beer to numb the pain.

…..

Ross felt the strength of the alcohol starting to take effect. He began to feel buzzed, but the drinks still didn't cause him to suffer any less while he viewed Rachel.

He tried hard to focus on Marian; however, as soon as there was a break in the conversation he glanced over at Rachel. She didn't seem to notice him, not once did they lock eyes. It was possibly a good thing she didn't see him, it kept him from storming over to interrupt their date.

Just then, Rachel and Mark stood from their table. Ross gawked at the couple as they put on their jackets. He cringed as Mark placed his hand on the small of Rachel's back as they strode towards the doors.

Ross could still see them through the large windows of the restaurant.

It seemed to happen in slow motion: Mark pulled Rachel closer, looking her in the eyes for a moment. He smoothly kissed her lips, wrapping his arms around her as he did so. Rachel's hands drifted to his face, until they parted.

They then said a few words as they parted ways, heading in opposite directions.

Marian sighed, glancing at her watch.

"You know, I think I'm going to get going," She admitted, in a tone that didn't sound the slightest bit amused. Her voice caught Ross' attention.

"Oh, um, it is getting kind of late," Ross commented, watching her as she slid her arms into her jacket.

"This was… nice. See you at work," Marian stated, clearly hinting that she didn't wish to go out with him again. The evening had started out on a wonderful high note, but then it had gone downhill after she'd returned from the restroom. She was turned off by his constant distraction; he had paid no attention to her for the latter part of their evening.

"Okay, I'll see you around then," Ross responded, his voice trailing off; she was already out of her seat, ready to get on her way.

Ross couldn't care less that she didn't want to go out again, he had blown his chances with her and he didn't mind. If he was going to get over Rachel, now was not the time, he wasn't ready. He needed to stop longing for her, stop being jealous, before he could let her go.

Maybe he wouldn't ever be able to let her go; he could only hope she would forgive him.

He spent a few minutes more at the bar, finishing his beer. He didn't want to go home to his empty apartment yet.

He decided he would go see Chandler – talk to him about the nights events and the resulting emotions.

…..

Finally, Ross had reached the top landing. He had climbed the flights of stairs; they seemed to never end. He strode towards apartment 19. He treaded heavily on the floor, disrupting the quiet of the hallway. Then, he was close enough to knock.

Patiently, he waited for the door to swing open. He waited for Chandler or Joey. Instead, the door behind him opened, causing his to jump slightly in surprise.

"Joey, are you locked out again… oh, um, Ross. I didn't see you there," Rachel said, finishing in a soft voice.

"I came to talk to, uh, Chandler," Ross explained, nervously.

"He's not home," Rachel stated. Ross sighed in disappointment, running a hand through his already messy hair. Noticing his distress and urgency, Rachel stepped closer, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Is everything okay?" Rachel asked, leaning to try to catch Ross' eye.

"I just needed to talk to him about, well about you," Ross admitted truthfully.

"Oh, that's-," Rachel was about to respond when Ross stepped closer.

The alcohol may have had more of an effect than he'd originally thought. He couldn't think straight. It also could have been the fact that he was alone with Rachel, or the rush of emotions he'd felt earlier. Nonetheless, he made a snap decision.

He quickly advanced, catching her face within his hands. He crushed his lips against hers, causing her to step back to catch her balance. He kissed her with as much passion as he could channel. He didn't know what came over him; he only knew he had to show her how much he still loved her.

Rachel didn't hesitate in the slightest. She couldn't allow him to sweep her away, change her decision. She raised both her hands to push against his chest.

"Ross. Stop," Rachel stated firmly. Ross immediately let go of her, stepping away hurriedly.

"I'm sorry," Ross apologised as fast as possible.

"I can't think of you in that way. Not after all that happened, all you did," Rachel explained in a whisper.

"Hey, we both had a hand in this. We both made some mistakes," Ross argued, getting tired of the blame game.

"At least I didn't sleep with someone else," Rachel nearly shouted. It felt good to be angry, it was the only way to stop herself from feeling heartbroken.

"If I can't have a decent conversation without you throwing that in my face, I'll just leave," Ross declared, outraged. Did she forget the events that had occurred? Did she forget that that's not all that happened?

"Well you can't just come here, kiss me and think we can get back together. If you want to go, then go," Rachel stated in a low, heated whisper.

"I will, but before I do, I want you to know…" Ross took a breath, calming himself, "… that sleeping with Chloe was the worst mistake I've ever made. I can't take it back, and not a day goes by where I don't wish I could," Ross stated.

He didn't wait for her to respond; he turned and headed down the stairs, leaving Rachel standing in the hall alone.

Rachel wrapped her arms around herself once more, this time trying to keep herself from falling to pieces. Ross' words opened up a wound that didn't appear to ever get a chance to heal.

She seemed to have taken a step backwards in her plan to move on. She had created a false hope in choosing to date Mark. She would need more time in order to fully move on.

Right now, Ross' words only reminded her that she was only partially ready to let go.

…..

Another slow day at the museum was in full swing. Everything was normal until his boss called him.

He had asked to speak with him in his office. Ross dreaded the news he would receive, he was nervous as he made his way down the hall.

Of course he only thought of the worst case scenario. Was there a reason he could be in trouble? Was he being fired? What was this urgent matter that his boss needed to speak to him about?

Ross knocked on the door of his boss' office. He waited until he prompted him to come in.

"Ross, take a seat," Donald stated, gesturing across the desk to the chair opposite him.

"Is everything okay?" Ross asked as he followed his boss' instructions. He hoped to hear news that would calm his nerves, rather than worsen them.

"Yes, everything's okay. Actually, everything is better than okay. Ross, I'd like to offer you the chance of a lifetime," Donald explained, a glint of excitement in his eye.

"What is that offer, sir?" Ross asked, listening to his boss intently.

"Ross, you are a very bright scientist, one of the smartest young men I know. For that reason I would like to know if you would consider being on TV."


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Please enjoy… and review.**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

The offer had come so unexpectedly, so out of the blue. Ross had to take a deep breath in order to absorb the extent of this opportunity.

"Will you do it Ross? Will you be on their panel of scientists?" Donald asked. He was unsure whether Ross' silence was a good sign or a bad sign.

"Donald, I would be honored be a part of this," Ross exclaimed, a bright smile spreading from ear to ear.

"That's very great news Ross," Donald said excitedly, he stood from his chair to shake Ross' hand. "Just think of what this will do for your career."

Ross thought about it, subconsciously taking Donald's words literally. It was a chance to be seen on TV by people around the globe. It was a chance to share his ideas with many, many other scientists. His dead-end job at the museum no longer existed. What a world of opportunities this would open for his career.

…..

Weeks ago, when Ross had received the offer of being on TV he didn't know what to expect.

He could never have imagined what it would be like to speak and share ideas in front of a camera. It was unusual to hear the director giving instructions. There was only so much he could learn from Joey, when he'd tried to give him acting tips.

Ross was treated like a valued guest on the set. The fellow scientists on the panel were kind and accommodating. He had undergone the wonder of sharing his opinions, his logical facts. He had learnt plenty from other scientists. All and all, Ross had enjoyed this experience, he was glad Donald had recommended him.

"Cut… And that's a wrap," The director told the crew and everyone on set.

Ross observed the movement in the vast room begin again. He stood from his chair, feeling very proud of himself. His segments were filmed; all that was left to do was watch it on TV and, of course, tell his friends about his wonderful day.

"Doctor Geller, can I speak with you for a moment?" The director asked from his chair.

"Of course," Ross answered, cheerily. The man had a group of people surrounding him, Ross guessed they were important judging by their formal attire, clipboards, phones, headsets. He recognised some as producers.

"You did amazing today, Doctor Geller," The director began. Ross approached their semi-circle of important personnel.

"Thank you all for giving me this opportunity. It was excellent," Ross responded, In the back of his mind he began wondering what this impromptu meeting was concerning.

"The producers, cast, crew and I all love you. In fact, we think you'd be a valuable asset to our team," The director explained, speaking on behalf of the group.

"Seriously?" Ross asked.

"We'd like to offer you a job with us. You'd be travelling the world. You'd get to be on our panel permanently. We'd have you doing segments and discussions and research. If you thought this was excellent wait until you've been to the site where these fossils are discovered," One of the producers piped in.

"What do you say?" The director asked. Suddenly all eyes were on Ross, including some of the other scientists situated nearby.

If Ross was shocked when he'd been asked to be on the show, now he was completely blown away. This really was a life changing opportunity. But, could he leave his friends and family?

Above all, could he leave Rachel?

They had really been mending their friendship over the past few weeks. As long as Mark wasn't around, they were comfortable with each other again. They talked like old friends; their relationship rarely came up in conversation. The arguments were few and far between. If he left now, what would happen?

Ross was still in love with Rachel, if he moved away it would be possible to not have a chance with her again.

"Do you mind if I take some time to think about it?" Ross asked, a tone of sorrow in his voice.

"Certainly. Our next trip starts in one week; we'll be gone for a few months, so we'll have to know your answer as soon as possible," The producer explained.

"I'll let you know my decision in the next day or two," Ross stated.

Luckily, Monica was having the gang over for dinner that night. They were celebrating Ross' TV debut. Now Ross could take the chance to discuss his choice.

It was a decision between having the career he could only dream of and staying with his group of friends who were more like his family.

…..

"Hey man, how'd it go?" Joey asked as soon as Ross crossed the threshold.

"It, uh, went really well, it was fun," Ross explained as he entered the apartment. The room was abuzz with the friends sitting down to eat and passing bowls of food to the table. Everyone was already there, the six friends were together. Ross was extremely pleased that Mark was not there, now he could follow through with having a serious conversation with his friends.

"Sounds like we'll soon have two people in show business from this group," Chandler commented, winking at both Ross and Joey.

The six friends began to eat. Ross couldn't find a way to tell them about his job offer. He didn't have the heart to cast an awkward or even sad tone on the evening.

"Why don't you seem more excited?" Phoebe asked Ross, he sat in the chair beside her. It was as if she read his mind, knowing he needed to say something. Something was odd about Ross' disposition, and she noticed.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to all of you about something," Ross admitted. All eyes focused on him, even Joey as he shoveled a final spoonful of potatoes in his mouth.

"What's wrong?" Monica asked, setting down her glass.

"There's not anything wrong necessarily… The producers want me on the show some more," Ross explained, his gaze focused on Rachel as he spoke. She looked directly at him, in confusion. In fact, they all looked at him in confusion.

"What's the big deal?" Joey asked, wanting an explanation. Wasn't this good news?

"I don't know if I'm going to take the offer. I'd have to travel for a few months," Ross clarified, watching as Rachel began to appear uneasy.

"This could be your only chance, you're one opportunity," Monica argued, shrugging slightly.

"I think you should take it," Chandler stated, locking eyes with Ross and smiling.

"I do too. I mean, if some TV show offered me a job I'd take it too," Joey added, patting Ross on the shoulder.

"You're okay with this Pheebs?" Ross asked, rotating to talk to her.

"I can write a "good luck Ross" song," Phoebe exclaimed, smiling giddily.

"I'll take that as a yes," Ross spoke, unenthusiastically. Then he focused on Rachel again. "You've, um, been quiet. Are you okay?"

"W-why wouldn't you take it?" Rachel asked, gesturing with her hand. On the inside her heart sank, she would certainly miss him immensely.

The rest of the group stood to begin cleaning up. Ross' eyes shifted self-consciously as the four friends observed the two who remained seated. The entire room fell silent; it was as if they were afraid to breathe.

"Because Rach, I'm…" But when everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch, it became too personal to continue in front of them. "Balcony?" Ross suggested, pointing over his shoulder.

"Sure," Rachel agreed, feeling the sensation of deja-vu. Their last conversation on the balcony had ended badly. Hopefully, now that they were on better terms, this would go smoothly.

Not wasting any time Ross admitting the truth. He and Rachel stood in the middle of the balcony in no time.

"Rach, I'm still in love with you," Ross confessed.

His words hit her in a hurry, penetrating deeper as she processed the situation: He didn't want to leave because he loved her, he would give up this job to be with her.

"Ross-," Rachel began softly, but Ross interrupted.

"If this thing with Mark ends and I have a chance to fix this and be with you, I will stay. We can forgive each other and move on," Ross explained, putting himself out on a limb.

"I can't do this anymore," Rachel admitted, bringing her hands to her face. He was willing to give up his dream to be with her while she hurt him. She had dated Mark to make him jealous and he had no idea, her conscience wouldn't let her push any further.

"Do what?" Ross questioned, concernedly watching Rachel as she removed her hands from her eyes to reveal tears.

"I began dating Mark because I wanted to make you jealous. I wanted to make you pay for sleeping with Chloe," Rachel admitted, staring at the ground in shame.

"Then, do you even truly like him?" Ross asked. Of course he was hurt but he needed clarification before Rachel's confession had a chance to sink in.

"Sometimes I think I do. Mark loves me…" Rachel spoke, trailing off nervously. She braced herself for his anger.

"This opportunity came at the perfect time then," Ross admitted, lifelessly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I can go on this trip for a few months, while you see how things go with Mark. Everyone wins. You can move on without feeling guilty, and I can clear my head while doing something I will love," Ross explained, becoming more enthusiastic as he spoke.

It was the perfect compromise, wasn't it?

Rachel was stunned. Ross had basically forgiven her without as much as an argument. He was okay with this. He would let her move on; he didn't care about what she did. Rachel didn't know whether this was good or bad. Should she be happy that she had gotten her way or disappointed that it hadn't hurt him more? Maybe Ross had moved on more than she'd anticipated.

"I _am_ sorry, for what I did," Rachel clarified, craving a sense of conclusion.

"I don't want to talk about it. Let's move on, be friends. It's too complicated," Ross declared.

"I'll always be your friend," Rachel stated, "And, as a friend, I wish you good luck. I know we'll all support you in whatever you choose."

"Thanks, Rach," Ross said. He then immediately pulled her into a hug. Rachel hesitated, but swiftly wrapped her arms around him, her chin resting on his shoulder as he crouched slightly.

When they parted, Ross looked her in the eyes for a moment. The look they shared could only be described as energy passed between the two.

"We should get back inside, enjoy your evening of celebration," Rachel concluded, already turning towards the window.

"Everything okay?" Monica asked as soon as the two were back inside.

"I was just encouraging Ross to take the job," Rachel claimed, as she continued on her route to the living room.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Monica whimpered, on the verge of tears. Ross held out his hands in order to embrace his sister. "We'll all miss you," Monica spoke against Ross' chest.

Ross watched as his friends all stood up, joining in, one by one, in an unforeseen group hug. Even Rachel participated.

The touching moment should have made Ross never want to leave, but Ross had made up his mind.

There was nothing left for him in New York. If he stayed, he'd be passing up the opportunity for nothing in return. Sure he had friends, but his chances with Rachel were gone. It would be too hard to see her day in and day out with Mark; this chance to escape came at the perfect time.

He had to admit that he was hurt. Rachel had stooped to a level that was beyond his wildest nightmares. However, he forgave her. The idea of escaping the pain helped him forgive.

It was time to put everything in the past and focus on the future he was headed towards, a future doing something he loved.

…..

There was one last thing he had to do, one last opinion he had to hear.

The blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy sat on his lap holding his G.I. Joe doll in his small hands. Ross stoked his soft hair with his hand, causing Ben to rotate upon his lap, looking at him intently. For such a quiet little toddler his eyes expressed every emotion he felt. Ross could tell Ben was concerned, it wasn't every day his dad visited him _before_ work.

Ross had come to realize that accepting this job would mean leaving behind his son. He didn't get to see Ben very often as it was, now he'd see him even less.

He had been on his way to tell the producers he'd take the job. Only, first, he needed to run the idea by Carol.

Ben glanced up, causing Ross to look up as well. He watched Carol enter the living room from the kitchen.

"Are you sure you didn't want anything?" she asked, placing her own steaming mug of tea upon her side table.

"I'm fine. I have to be on my way soon. I'm sorry it's so early, I just need to talk to you," Ross explained, continuing to hold Ben on his lap.

"Okay, what's going on Ross?" Carol asked, furrowing her eyebrows at Ross' strange behaviour.

"I've been offered a job on TV, traveling with a panel of scientists," Ross revealed, watching as Carol still seemed confused.

"How long of a trip are we talking?" Carol questioned, taking a sip from her own mug.

"I'd be gone for a few months."

"And your friends are okay with this?"

"They've all expressed their support. I'm just nervous about leaving Ben for that long," Ross explained, getting straight to the reason for his visit.

"Ross. You know Susan and I will take care of him-," Carol began before Ross interjected.

"But, you two wouldn't get a break from taking care of him, I wouldn't be able to take him for a weekend-," Ross ranted, before Carol took her turn to interrupt.

"We'll be fine Ross. Ben will be fine. Take this chance and run with it," Carol encouraged, staring Ross straight in the eye. "You can always come visit, we can phone and video call. We'll make this work."

Ross thought about it for a moment. He no longer had Ben as a reason to stay - Susan and Carol would be there to parent Ben. Ross knew he'd be back before Ben was old enough to understand that he was gone. He would certainly be able to stay in touch.

"Thank you Carol, I've come to my decision," Ross stated, confidently.

"I'm sure you'll make us all proud," Carol determined.

"I'm really going to do this. I'm going right now to let them know," Ross said. He felt extremely motivated by the people in his life.

"We'll see you soon then?" Carol asked.

"I'll come to say goodbye," Ross clarified, becoming very serious.

With that, he stood up, keeping Ben close to his chest. He sweetly kissed his son's forehead.

"See you soon, Ben," Ross said, addressing Ben directly.

"Dada go bye-bye?" Ben asked in his cute little voice.

"Yes, but I'll always come back," Ross told Ben. His big blue eyes watched as if he understood.

"Bye Carol," Ross stated, handing Ben off to his mother.

"Good luck," Carol said. Ross waved at them before heading for the door.

Walking down the stairs he imagined facing the director and producers. He decided on the words he would say to them, the way he would tell them he would be honored to accept the job.

There wasn't another thought in his head, there wasn't room to think about anything else besides the excitement of this job.

He pushed past the door of the building's entrance only to feel the cool breeze against his face. Not even the wind mellowed his happiness. He thought this strength wouldn't fade, but he was sadly mistaken.

He was alone on the sidewalk outside Carol and Susan's apartment; he was alone except for one other man. It was a man which whom he knew, a man he disliked immensely.

It was Mark who strode towards him.

Ross kept his head down, watching his shoes against the grey concrete. Why was Mark on this street? Why did fate torture him in such cruel and unusual ways? First the restaurant and now this.

"Ross? Is that you?" Mark's voice asked as they passed one another. Ross didn't know what to do, Mark had seen him; should he stop or just continue walking?

"Oh, um, hi Mark," Ross stuttered, pausing mid-stride.

He hoped their conversation would end there, that they would continue on their ways without another word. All Ross had been doing lately was talking, and to make it worse it was Mark.

"Can we talk?" Mark asked, boldly.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Please enjoy this new chapter; I'm excited to hear what you think. ;)**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

It sat uneasily with her conscience, the way they had left their conversation. She had an unnerving suspicion that this situation was concluded on the wrong note.

It didn't seem like Ross accepted her apology, he had brushed it off so quickly. Rachel felt like she deserved to be yelled at, she deserved Ross' anger towards her for what she'd done. Was it that he didn't care? Had he moved on to such an extreme degree that it didn't bother him, she had used Mark to cause him pain, didn't that anger him?

Rachel found herself being drawn to his apartment, after work. Whether she was going there to apologise again or have him yell at her, it was the right choice.

Above all, she couldn't leave this matter in this state. Before he left the country, she needed to patch up their relationship. She couldn't let him leave angry, nor could she let him leave without realizing how sorry she was.

This was her final chance to talk to him in private. The week had flown by; Ross' flight left the next morning.

When her hand reached the door to knock, it was as if she was watching from outside her body. Everything about this moment felt similar to a dream, it wasn't characteristic of her to confront him when they normally hid their feelings from one another. The hollow thud of the wood against her knuckles prompted his voice to echo from beyond the door.

"Who is it?" Ross' muffled voice asked.

"It's Rachel, can we talk?" She answered, letting her raised hand drop. She crossed her arms across her chest, nervously.

"Uh, yeah, come in," Ross responded.

Rachel entered to find the reason he hadn't come to answer the door. A few boxes were scattered across the apartment. Ross stood behind his leather sofa, wrapping a fossil in bubble wrap.

"You've left the packing until the last minute I see," Rachel commented, attempting to sound light and cheerful.

"Well, I _have_ been busy sorting out a few arrangements," Ross stated. He placed the wrapped fossil into an awaiting box. Then he stepped away from packing, approaching Rachel apprehensively.

"I just came here to, well, fix the way we left off," Rachel began in a serious tone. "I want to apologise one last time. Honestly, it felt like you accepted my apology too quickly last time… Doesn't it hurt you to know what I did?"

"Rachel, why don't you take a seat," Ross suggested. The pair strode alongside his sofa, sitting so they were angled towards each other. "At first I _was_ hurt, but I can't let it bother me. Part of moving on is leaving the past… in the past."

"Wow, Ross... I never thought I'd hear you drop anything so fast," Rachel admitted, in complete shock that those were Ross' thoughts, he never let go in arguments like this.

"I don't want to leave being angry at you. I'm going to move forward, focus on my career. I forgive you," Ross explained. He didn't want to admit to Rachel how much her actions had hurt, not to mention the fact that he was escaping seeing her and Mark together by taking this job.

"Thank you Ross," Rachel said, smiling at him reservedly.

"So, I, uh, ran into Mark today," Ross admitted, wanting to tell her what happened rather than leave Mark in charge of doing so.

"You did? What happened?" Rachel asked, noticeably cringing at the thought of the two coming face to face.

"Not a lot. He started by asking if it was true that I was leaving. I told him it was," Ross explained, furrowing his brow as he tried to remember the details of the conversation.

"That's it?" Rachel chuckled, relieved.

"Not quite," Ross admitted. He shifted uneasily, wanting to find the perfect words to describe the rest of the encounter.

"What Ross? What happened? You're killing me here," Rachel said in a rush, when Ross paused.

"I-I told him to take care of you," Ross confessed. It was his final attempt to let go of Rachel, to let her be with Mark. When he had told Mark those words he had admitted that he was done fighting for Rachel, that Mark had his permission to date her.

"But, Ross, I don't know if things are going to go anywhere with Mark-," Rachel began, nothing else came to mind, she was too overwhelmed with emotion. Ross had basically admitted that he approved of her dating Mark.

"Why not? You two have a lot in common," Ross interjected when Rachel paused.

"And you're okay with this?" She asked, unable to process this information.

"I wish you the best. I just hope we can move on, in order to stop hurting each other," Ross explained. Rachel got her answer, he was hurt after all.

A moment of silence passed between them, their conversation reaching a dead end.

"Do you want help packing? Unless Monica called dibs," Rachel said, earning a laugh from Ross.

"I'd love some help, my closet hasn't been touched," Ross disclosed.

"Then I'll stay a while," Rachel said, getting up from the couch.

"Do you want a glass of wine? One of my friends at the museum gave it to me as a congratulatory gift," Ross spoke as he also stood.

"Sounds great," Rachel said. "I'll get started in the bedroom," Rachel added as she began walking towards the back room.

…..

The pair packed and sipped their glasses of wine. They laughed and chatted without difficulty. It was getting late, but neither of them wanted to end their time together.

The closet was barren in no time. Most of Ross' articles of clothing were in their suitcases.

"Looks like we're almost done, want to relax a moment?" Ross suggested, grabbing his glass of wine. He sat on his bed to reinforce his idea.

"Yes please," Rachel responded with a sigh. She joined him on the bed, glass in hand as well. Ross topped up her glass of wine, noticing that they had gone through the entire bottle.

"It's so strange to see my life in bags and boxes," Ross stated, glancing around at the bags in front of the closet doors.

"I can't believe you're leaving tomorrow," Rachel revealed, before drinking the last of her wine. She also observed the bags. It had become very real the more bags they packed, the more hangers, shelves and drawers they cleared.

"I'll miss New York," Ross stated.

"I'm going to miss _you_," Rachel declared.

"I'm going to miss you too… every day," Ross responded, turning to look Rachel deeply in the eyes. He noticed them fill with tears; the emotion filled the room. He noticed her stare of misery become a gaze of desire.

It was Rachel who made the first move this time.

Swiftly, she used a hand to turn his face towards hers, leaning across his body to reach his lips. She came to a standstill in a matter of seconds, parting from the kiss, opening her eyes.

As if reading each other's thoughts, both placed their wineglasses on the floor. They hesitated when they returned to sitting upright on the end of the bed. Staring intensely into one another's eyes it became apparent that that wouldn't be their final kiss that night.

They returned to their kiss, Rachel continuing to lean over Ross, his face in both her hands this time. Ross wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

Before long, he had effortlessly lifted her to straddle his lap. The atmosphere changed in the blink of an eye, becoming serious rather than playful.

Neither one of them stopped to think. Not when their tears still fell and their emotions ran high. A mixture of the alcohol in their systems, passion and the knowledge that Ross was leaving in the morning fueled their decisions.

As soon as Ross took their fervent kiss a step further, cautiously running his hands beneath the edge of her shirt, there was no turning back. Rachel raised her arms above her head without breaking the kiss. Ross took this as a signal to pull the shirt over her head. When their lips met once more, Rachel began to undo the buttons on Ross' shirt.

The two realized this had become a final night to be together.

…..

The bright sunlight behind his closed eyelids was what stirred him from unconsciousness. Immediately, a headache stung his temples. He reluctantly attempted to open his eyes, squinting in the bright room.

It wasn't a dream.

He peered downwards to find Rachel lay on his bare chest. Her golden hair shimmered in the sunlight. Ross leaned to kiss the top of her head.

The pressure of his lips upon her head caused her to awaken. Rachel rotated to glance up at him.

"Hey you," Ross whispered, smiling at Rachel. His heart sank when Rachel sorrowfully turned her gaze elsewhere. He expected her to answer to their signature greeting, but Rachel's mind was muddled by conflicting thoughts.

It felt so right to wake up next to Ross, yet it was out of line. She was dating Mark; she had cheated on him. How could she do this when she fully understood how it felt to be cheated on? Guilt washed over her, her body felt numb.

They were soon interrupted by a faint ringing sound. Rachel immediately recognized the noise as her cell phone. She sat up, quickly grabbing one of the tousled sheets to wrap around her body. She rushed off to the living room.

Ross could only hear Rachel's side of the conversation; however, he could guess who was calling.

"I'm at Ross' place," Rachel explained, standing in Ross' living room with the sheet wrapped tightly around her.

"I thought you said you'd meet me at my place before work?" Mark spoke to Rachel from the other side of the phone call. He sounded concerned.

"I-I'm going to say goodbye to Ross at the airport. I'm… helping him with his bags and stuff. I guess I forgot to tell you," Rachel told him, making an effort to cover what had really happened.

"Well… I'll see you after work, then?" Mark asked, hesitantly.

"Yes, see you later," Rachel responded. She hung up and put her phone back in her bag. The tense feeling that had arose only worsened her throbbing headache and sick feeling.

Rachel treaded back into the bedroom, but paused in the doorway. She noticed that Ross was dressed; he was sat perched on the side of his bed.

"I'll get dressed and help you with these bags," Rachel declared softly. Her voice caused Ross to glance up at her. He took her statement as an indication that she didn't want to talk about the event that had transpired last night.

"I'll phone Monica, tell her we're on our way," Ross decided as he got to his feet.

…..

His departure time was approaching. With each glance at his watch, it seemed like time passed faster than normal. An hour became a half hour, a half hour became only minutes.

Everyone he loved was there to say their goodbyes and wish him luck: Carol, Susan and Ben, his parents, his sister, his friends.

The tears began to fall as soon as the announcement sounded over the speakers - Ross needed to board the plane.

Ross knew the end was drawing near. His family and friends stood silently, they had already expressed their emotions. They were proud of their Ross' achievement, but they were upset that he'd be on the other side of the world.

Everyone had someone to lean on for support. It was the reason Ross realized they would be okay without him, they had each other. Even Rachel had someone; Mark would be there for her.

Ross gave each of his loved ones a final hug; first Carol, Susan and Ben, then his parents, his sister, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe. Lastly, he approached Rachel. He couldn't stop the hot tears from rolling down his cheeks as he hugged her tight. Saying goodbye to her was a difficult task.

"I'll miss you Rach," Ross whispered in her ear as they embraced. They stood a few steps away from the rest of the group, sharing a private moment.

"Take care of yourself," Rachel answered when they parted, the lump in her throat made it difficult speak louder than a whisper.

"I knew last night would make it difficult to say goodbye," Ross admitted in a low voice.

"But maybe that's what it was, a way to say goodbye," Rachel stated gently. In Ross' eyes all she could see was disappointment.

"It'll be hard to move on," Ross admitted.

Before sleeping with Rachel he had convinced himself he had to let go. It was the reason he talked to Mark, it was the reason he forgave her without a fight. However, she saw their night together as no more than a goodbye, while he wanted it to lead to more.

"Try to see it as I see it, as closure on our relationship. Ross, we had a bottle of wine. I cheated on Mark and I feel terrible about it. It can only be a bonus night," Rachel explained, she looked up at Ross as they stood close to one another. He stared down at her with a serious gaze.

"If that's what you want…" Ross declared, trailing off.

"Goodbye, Ross," Rachel spoke, triggering more tears. Ross reached up to wipe the drops from her cheeks. He then froze as he realized it was inappropriate to do so in such a loving way, they were friends and nothing more.

"I'll be home soon," Ross said, making a promise he hoped he could keep.

He adjusted his carry-on bag over his shoulder, stepping away from Rachel. He gave one last wave to the crowd that stood before him. Ben stared at him, confused by the situation. Ross bent down to the height of his son's stroller, kissing Ben's soft hair.

"I'll keep in touch. Goodbye everyone," Ross said, receiving a chorus of goodbyes in return.

He handed a man his ticket and navigated the hallway towards the plane. His future lay ahead of him, only a plane ride away, he would find the career others only dreamed of.

…..

Mark's company comforted her, a comfort she craved even only a week after Ross had left.

Mark was so cheerful and upbeat. He made her laugh, he helped her heal, all and all it was good for her to be around him. He offered a break from her thoughts whether with dinner or an evening at his apartment. Rachel thoughts overwhelmed her, always seeming to lead her to Ross - Again, she didn't like how they left their conversation.

Rachel had to remind herself that she had given him up; she had chosen to move on. She couldn't turn back, not when he had hurt her. She had to remind herself that Ross was gone; he was not across the street anymore.

She had Mark and she didn't want to lose him as well. She had already lost Ross as a lover and a friend.

Mark held her close as they cuddled on his sofa, watching a movie. The lights were low, the volume echoed through the room.

When the movie ended, she was startled to feel his hot breath against her neck.

"Do you know how beautiful you are?" Mark asked in a breathy whisper, his voice sent shivers down Rachel's spine.

Rachel didn't have time to respond before his lips were on her neck. Rachel closed her eyes as he kissed her jaw, the corner of her mouth, and then her lips. He was gentle at first, slowly building the heat of the moment. Mark whispered how much he loved her, he made her feel incredible.

The pair had made out before, but this time it was different.

It wasn't long before they had gotten up, heading to the bedroom as they kissed. What was going to happen next was very clear.

Perhaps she did this for the wrong reasons, but maybe this was what she needed. On one hand, she was feeling vulnerable, she was seeking comfort. On the other hand, she felt like this solidified her choice to move on. She and Mark were certainly taking a step forward in their relationship. It was a step she felt she needed to take in order to solidify their relationship, both in her mind and Mark's mind.

Her decision was made about Ross. Whether he had moved on or not, she knew where she stood. She let herself enjoy her first time with Mark, not because she had to move on but because she could.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I really love writing this story, not only is it a break from Physics homework (blah), but I feel very pleased with the way it's going. I hope you feel the same.**

**As always, **_**please**_** review to let me know what you think and enjoy this new chapter.**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

His familiar voice glided through the air, flowing from the TV speakers. They had come together for dinner, tuning into another episode of Ross' show.

Ross' deep voice lingered in the background while they conversed. Joey, Chandler, Rachel and Mark were seated in the living room, while Monica and Phoebe tidied the dishes. They conversed amongst each other, finally together after their long day of work.

Rachel intently focused on the TV screen, zoning out of the conversation as the camera focused solely on Ross. He had told them repeatedly that he was enjoying his new job; Rachel believed his words when she saw how enthusiastic he was. He spoke directly to the camera about a new fossil, using scientific terms, holding the bone in his hands. Rachel felt as if he spoke directly to her, telling her he was enjoying what he was doing, telling her not to miss him.

It had been a month since he had left. They all continued to miss having him nearby. They would have to make due with viewing him on TV and talking to him on the phone until he returned. However, watching his TV show was delightful; it felt like their group was somewhat complete.

As time passed it was slowly becoming easier to live without him, but that didn't mean they still didn't miss him.

Rachel found it difficult to be without Ross, especially now that her relationship with Mark was becoming troubled. It seemed like they had less in common than they'd originally thought, there was only so time their shared interest in fashion could fill their conversations. Nonetheless, she continued to give him a chance, she included him in everything she did with her friends. It felt good to be able to turn to him for comfort.

A sigh escaped her lips as she stared at the screen. Joey and Chandler were in the throes of a heated discussion about a female actor in Joey's play; Rachel figured no one had noticed her longing glances at the TV.

Mark did notice. He wrapped his arm around her as they sat on the white couch. He kissed her hair, realizing how hard it must be to have her friend Ross on the other side of the world.

…..

Ross relaxed in his hotel room, lounging amidst the fluffy pillows on his bed. He took the time, this morning, to read over his notes while he drank a cup of coffee. He relaxed in a t-shirt and pyjama pants, adoring the fact that he did not have to be constricted in a suit for the time being. He had quickly settled into his routine at his new job.

He treasured every moment of his trip. The early mornings didn't feel as early when he knew he'd be rewarded with seeing new fossils and speaking with new scientists throughout the day. He got to share his thoughts and argue his scientific theories, both of which he loved to do.

Missing his friends and family was normally stored in the back of his mind. It was difficult to remember his grief when he was having such a great time.

Normally, it hit him at night; it did the night that had just passed. As he lay in bed, staring at the dark room around him, he recalled the sounds of New York City. The traffic driving by on the street below, the honking cars, the wailing sirens; it was difficult to fall asleep in his virtually silent hotel room. His thoughts were free to roam to the people he'd left behind, especially Rachel.

From what he'd heard, she and Mark were getting along well. Mark was treating Rachel right, and that's all that mattered to Ross at the moment. There was nothing he could do as he travelled so far from home.

His plan to move on had not begun to work. He thought about her less, but his love for her wouldn't cease.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door that set his heart pounding.

Ross shuffled his notes into a neat pile, placing them on his nightstand, along with his coffee, before standing up. He ambled to the door, peering through the peephole. One of the show's producers stood on the other side of his hotel room door - so much for his morning alone.

"Hi, John, how are you?" Ross asked, smiling as he opened the door.

"I'm fine Doctor Geller," John answered.

"Please, call me Ross," he instructed, even though Ross enjoyed constantly being referred to as a doctor.

"I've just come to inform you that after this week you are free to take a few days off," John explained, watching as a bigger smile spread across Ross' face.

"That-that is _great_ news. Thank you, sir," Ross exclaimed, offering the man a handshake.

"It's not a problem Doctor Geller. I'll see you in a few minutes," John answered while shaking Ross' outstretched hand.

"Yes, goodbye," Ross stated. The man left, walking down the hall, Ross closed his door as the man escaped his sight.

Ross couldn't wait to phone Monica.

He was going home.

…..

Monica and Phoebe spent their morning together before work, it was a regular occurrence. The coffee house was another option, but today they needed a quiet morning, just the girls.

They counted themselves lucky when they were able to answer the phone when it rang.

"Hello?" Monica said into the phone.

"Mon, it's Ross. You won't believe what I just found out," Ross spoke in a rush of excitement. A joyful smile touched Monica's face, and Phoebe immediately knew who was on the other end of the phone call.

"Hold on Ross, before you say anything. Pheebs is here, can I put you on speaker?" Monica asked.

"Yeah, sure," Ross agreed. Phoebe enthusiastically moved to the living room, sitting on the couch as Monica stood by the phone's side table.

"Hey Ross," Phoebe greeted, when Monica had set the phone in its base, pressing the speakerphone button.

"Hi Phoebe," Ross responded, pausing before he continued. "So, I'm able to come home in a few days."

"Oh, yay!" Phoebe exclaimed, animatedly.

"Ross, that's so great," Monica responded, glancing at Phoebe, sharing a look of happiness.

"It is - I can't wait. But, I'll have to talk to you two later, right now I need to get back to work," Ross stated.

"Okay Ross, we'll be sure to tell everyone else," Phoebe declared.

"Great. Bye guys," Ross answered.

The girls chorused in goodbyes before both siblings hung up their phones.

"I had a feeling he'd be back soon, I just didn't want to jinx it by telling you," Phoebe mentioned, relaxing into the soft couch cushions.

"We should all go out to dinner when he comes, I'll make a reservation," Monica planned. In all the excitement, the two women hadn't noticed Rachel's bedroom door click open.

"Hi Rach, guess what," Phoebe spoke quickly, as soon as she saw Rachel.

"What?" Rachel asked, as she furrowed her brow. She was confused at the energy that filled the atmosphere and the loud voices she had heard moments ago.

"Ross is coming home to visit," Monica said, earning a glare from Phoebe who wanted to share the news with Rachel.

"Oh, really?" Rachel asked as her heart pounded rapidly against her ribs.

"Probably not for too long. He might have to leave after a few days, it's not like he can stay here," Monica explained, realizing the weight of her words.

Rachel couldn't believe the information she'd just heard. She was certainly happy to see Ross again. She was certainly nervous, but thrilled to have their group together again.

"But it's good news," Phoebe corrected, hoping to bring the happiness back that was gradually fading.

"Of course," Monica promptly declared. Phoebe noticed that while Monica began to brighten up once more, Rachel still seemed very uneasy.

"Everything okay Rach?" Phoebe questioned, causing Monica to also study her friend as well.

"You look really pale, Rachel," Monica commented.

Rachel glanced from her friends to the floor; she could still feel their eyes bore into her downturned head. There was a reason she seemed nervous, a reason she didn't know how to share. But she needed her friends.

"There is something I need to tell you two," Rachel began, pacing further into the living room to stand behind the coffee table.

"What's going on, Rach?" Monica inquired, becoming concerned.

"I don't know how to say this, you have to promise not to say anything to anyone," Rachel said, finding her courage bit by bit.

"Just tell us," Phoebe responded, impatiently. She rolled her eyes playfully as she spoke. But then the mood became much more serious.

"I missed my period," Rachel admitted. Her two friends just stared at her.

A few seconds ticked by, feeling like minutes.

"Do you want me to run out and get some at home pregnancy tests?" Phoebe suggested, breaking the silence.

"Um, okay," Rachel responded. Phoebe got up from her spot on the couch, and before they knew it she was out the door.

Tears filled Rachel's eyes. She did not want to have a baby with Mark. This child would tie her to him forever. Until now, she hadn't realized she didn't want to be tied to him. Turning to him for comfort may have backfired.

…..

A few days passed in the blink of an eye. Before he knew it he was back in New York City. He had visited Ben for the entire afternoon, now he was ready to visit with his friends.

He was hoping that witnessing Rachel with Mark would help him move on, but only time would tell.

The restaurant was full of noise, cutlery clinking against plates, people laughing and enthusiastically participating in conversations. He passed many tables of many different people before reaching his destination. There was a round table set with seven table settings, his friends and Mark were already seated around it.

"Hi everybody," Ross greeted as he approached the table.

He was met by many hellos, all filled with boundless excitement. He circulated the table, giving everyone a warm hug, only stopping to shake Mark's hand.

When he was seated, the questions began. Ross' friends asked him about his experience on the other side of the world, Ross in turn asked about life in New York. Ross was overjoyed to be sharing his stories, telling everyone what he had seen, telling them how much fun he'd been having.

When the food arrived the conversation slowly dissipated.

Ross realized he was sadly mistaken that watching Mark and Rachel together would help him move on. He had seen them together many times, and this time was much like the rest. He thought he would tell Mark to take care of Rachel and then leave everything behind. But it seemed like coming back had only rehashed feelings he had buried.

When it was time to leave Ross couldn't help but watch as Mark helped Rachel with her jacket. She looked very tense, as if something were on her mind.

"So Ross. Where are you staying?" Monica asked, causing Ross to whirl around to look at her.

"Well, I was thinking I'd stay at my place, I do still own it and I brought my bags there already…" Ross shut his mouth when he noticed Monica had crossed her arms.

"I was hoping you'd stay with us, we could spend more time together that way," Monica explained. Ross glanced over at Rachel for approval, which Rachel became aware of immediately.

"It's fine with me," Rachel answered.

"Then that settles it," Ross responded, putting on his jacket.

"Man, that's awesome because you'll be right across the hall, so Chandler and I can see you in the morning," Joey stated with child-like excitement.

"Do you want to come to my place then, Rachel?" Mark asked, directing his question at his girlfriend, but the rest couldn't help but overhear.

"Um, that's okay. I need to, uh, get to work early tomorrow," Rachel said, making an excuse off the top of her head. She couldn't deal with telling him about the baby just yet.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow," Mark stated. He then swept Rachel into a lingering kiss, but she stopped it after a few short seconds, much to Mark's disappointment. "Bye everyone. Ross, have a safe trip when you return," Mark said before he departed. Ross snapped out of his horrified gaze to answer. He couldn't make himself look away from Mark and Rachel's kiss.

"Thanks Mark, bye," Ross responded.

After everybody said goodbye, the friends headed to the street to flag down cabs to ride to their respective apartments.

…..

His mind echoed with thoughts, the soft pillow under his head unable to muffle them. He thought of his friends who seemed to be doing well without him, he thought of Ben who didn't understand why his father was suddenly back. But Ross mostly thought of Rachel and Mark.

Rachel was just in the other room. He lay on the couch, under a blanket, staring at the blackness that filled the entrance of her open bedroom door. He felt drawn to her, like a fly to honey. He just had to see her one last time before he fell asleep; he wanted to drift to sleep with her beautiful face fresh in his mind.

He carefully rose from the couch in order to gently tiptoe across the living room carpet. When he reached her doorway he peered in, staying behind the threshold.

When his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he saw her tucked under her covers. Her cinnamon hair was spread across her pillow, she wore a peaceful expression, her eyes shut.

He smiled as he leaned against the side of the doorway. He had gotten to see her; he had admired her beauty, now he would return to sleeping on the couch.

He carefully made his way across the carpet once more. However, this time his foot hit something. The action sent a shooting pain through his toe, causing a yelp of agony to escape his lips. He quickly realized that he hadn't avoided the ottoman, thus stubbing his toe on one of its legs.

"Ross?" Came a soft voice from Rachel's bedroom. Ross cringed, as his clumsiness had woken Rachel. He limped over to her doorway.

"I'm sorry. I stubbed my toe," Ross explained in a whisper. "I was g-getting a drink, now I'll go back to bed."

"Okay Ross. Goodnight," Rachel chuckled, laying her head back on her pillow.

"Uh, Rach, can I talk to you for a second?" Ross asked out of the blue. Rachel sighed, sitting back up in bed.

"Sure Ross, come sit," Rachel stated, patting a spot on her bed.

Ross did as he was instructed, cautiously sitting on the edge of Rachel's bed.

"I just, um, wanted to tell you how much I miss you," Ross began, carefully. Rachel immediately took that as a sign that he hadn't moved on yet.

"I miss you too Ross, but-," Rachel responded, but Ross quickly interjected.

"Wait, I also wanted to add that I hope Mark is treating you well," Ross said, hoping that made up for his moment of weakness. Rachel was confused, not knowing what he was thinking any longer.

"We're getting along great," Rachel admitted, watching Ross sadden at her words.

"I'm trying to move on, I really am. But Rach I still-," Ross explained, but this time Rachel interrupted.

"Stop, Ross, before you say anything else, there's something you should know. Maybe it's a reason you should move on, maybe you will hate me though…" Rachel rambled.

"What's going on Rach?" Ross asked, watching her intently as her eyes failed to meet his.

"I don't know how to say this, but I'm pregnant… with Mark's baby," Rachel gently admitted. When Ross didn't respond, tears rolled off her cheeks, dropping onto her comforter.

The pregnancy tests had confirmed her suspicions. Four pregnancy tests and they all read positive. Only Monica and Phoebe knew, now she had to come up with a way to tell Mark. She knew this was news she needed to share with Ross in person; she didn't know when she'd see him again.

Was this what would tear her away from Ross, or was this the answer to bringing her closer to Mark?

Ross was speechless, he felt as if he had been hit in the stomach with a steel bat. It was bad enough that Mark and Rachel were dating, but now they were sleeping together? Now they were going to have a family?

"What can I say except, congratulations? And, Rach, I could never hate you," Ross said, holding back tears of his own; tears of pain.

Ross didn't stand a chance at winning Rachel back, not with Mark's baby added to the mix to further complicate everything. He would have no choice but to move forward, Rachel and Mark were going to be parents.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Thanks **_**so**_** much for the reviews, they always make me smile. :D**

**Please enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

Exhaustion prickled throughout her body, the sweat and tears were long dried, she now had some peace and quiet. However, relaxing was not possible when so many thoughts filled her mind.

She continued to keep her eyes shut, attempting to sleep. Her baby was in the nursery for the time being, her family and friends had decided to get dinner - it was her chance to rest.

Rachel recalled the intense florescent lights, the doctors and nurses surrounding her. She remembered the first cries of her baby echoing through the room. They had handed him to her after he was cleaned up. She was amazed that such a small person could have such a big effect on her. She wept as she soothed her baby's cries.

The disheartening part about this experience was the fact that her mother was by her side in the delivery room, not a man.

But, she refused to let having this baby by herself diminish the event. She was surrounded by her friends, who remained impatiently in the waiting room. They were people who had supported her throughout her entire pregnancy. Rachel chose to marvel at the fact that she was a mother. She had given birth to a beautiful baby mere hours ago, her son.

She was on the verge of sleeping. The darkness behind her closed eyelids swirled into a flashback. Mark had been on her mind all day; it wasn't surprising that he came into her mind's eye.

How could she forget the last time she saw Mark?

_It was almost harder to say goodbye to Ross the second time around. As quickly as Ross had come, he had to leave. Rachel had Mark for support this time. He offered her a form of comfort as Rachel and her friends watched Ross board the plane. _

_It was a few days after Ross had initially spent the night at Monica and Rachel's apartment, after he and Rachel talked. She knew she had to tell Mark the truth; she had already shared her secret with all her friends, it was time for her to let him into the loop and face her fears._

"_Do you want to come back to my place?" Mark whispered in her ear. Rachel tore her eyes away from staring after Ross, to look at Mark. She then peered around him to give Monica a word-filled gaze, telling her where she'd be. Monica understood Rachel's stare, nodding._

"_Sure, let's go," Rachel answered. Mark took her hand in his as they proceeded towards the exit._

…_.._

"_Do you want a glass of wine?" Mark asked seductively, as they entered his apartment door._

"_Um, no, none for me," Rachel responded, her voice quivering slightly with nerves. Mark noticed her uneasiness immediately. After they took off their coats he stopped her in her tracks._

"_Is everything okay?" He questioned, stepping closer to her. He leaned in, attempting to kiss her lips, but Rachel dodged his advance. Mark watched her with a confused stare as she marched to take a seat on his couch._

"_I need to talk to you about something," Rachel admitted, anxious as the moment of truth rapidly approached. Her heart pounded fast, making her feel sick._

"_What's up?" Mark inquired, lightheartedly. He plunked down beside her on the couch; he put a hand on her knee. Rachel placed her hand a top his, taking a deep breath._

"_Mark, I-I'm pregnant," Rachel stated, looking him in the eyes._

_A pang of sadness made her heart sink as she watched his reaction. He seemed to be distraught, shocked and panicked all at the same time. It was not the reaction Rachel was hoping for. _

"_And it's m-mine?" Mark questioned, pointing at his own chest with a shaking hand, withdrawing it from its position upon her leg._

"_Well, yeah," Rachel confirmed, immediately becoming emotional._

"_I can't do this Rachel," Mark stated, his voice low. He was unable to meet her eyes._

"_But-," Rachel started, before Mark cut her off._

"_I know Rachel, the baby is mine, but I can't be a father. I don't want a part in this," Mark decided. _

_Tears of anger and sadness fell down Rachel's cheeks. How could Mark do this to her, leave her alone to raise _their_ child?_

"_I guess you never truly loved me then. Throw in an unplanned pregnancy and suddenly you're going back on your words," Rachel said, firmly. Her temper rose quickly, like boiling blood in her veins._

"_I just can't do it," Mark declared, glancing awkwardly at Rachel._

"_I guess I'll just go then," Rachel stated, she didn't wait for Mark to say another word before she left him sitting alone in his living room._

When Rachel opened her eyes her tears fell once more. Maybe it was her hormones, but maybe it was the realization she had come to a few months previous. She regretted ever going out with Mark, ever agreeing to use him to make Ross jealous, and she thoroughly regretted using Mark as a form of comfort.

After she had left Mark she vowed not to see him again, he had made it clear that he didn't want to be a part of Rachel's life any longer.

Rachel had decided to have the baby - she didn't believe abortion was right and she had confidence that she could raise her child alone. She had learned to be a stronger woman.

The reality was that she would be a single mother; it wasn't overly frightening because she had the support of her wonderful friends.

Nevertheless, one friend was obviously missing. The one friend she wished she had by her side as she faced this challenge.

Ross.

She just wished she hadn't pushed Ross away by dating Mark; he could have been in this very hospital along with the rest of their friends.

Her ponderings were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in," Rachel called as she swiftly wiped away the traces of tears on her cheeks.

A nurse entered the room, holding a little bundle of blankets in her arm as if it were a football rather than a baby. A smile brightened Rachel's face as soon as she spotted her son.

"He's awake, now," the nurse explained, cheerfully bringing the baby to Rachel's awaiting arms.

Rachel admired the way his tiny warm body fit perfectly into her arms. She gazed lovingly at the small face that peered out from beneath the blankets.

"You have quite a few friends waiting outside the door - they followed me as I walked to you room from the nursery. Do you want me to send them in?" The nurse spoke, softly.

Rachel leaned forward, carefully. She peered past the woman. She could see her friends through the window in the door. In turn, when they spotted Rachel, they made themselves seem busy, nonchalantly looking away.

"Yeah, let them in," Rachel said with a gentle laugh.

"Certainly, call me if you need anything," the nurse answered, rotating to stroll out the door.

The group of friends trickled into the room, the four quietly surrounded Rachel's bed. They grinned giddily as they peeked at the baby in Rachel's arms, trying not to ogle over him too loudly.

"Can I please hold him Rach? Mon, hogged him the last time," Joey whined soon after they entered.

"Of course, Joey," Rachel whispered. They carefully exchanged the baby. Joey stood beside the bed, carefully holding him as if he were made of glass. Joey held him low, so Monica could peer at the new member of their group; she pulled back the blanket so she could see his face.

"Did you come up for a name for this little man?" Monica asked, turning to intently look at Rachel.

"I did... His name is Cameron," Rachel declared. The room broke into a hushed chorus of greetings and praises.

"Does he have a middle name?" Chandler questioned, the friends all focussed on Rachel.

"I haven't decided on a middle name, nothing seems to fit just right," Rachel expressed.

"That's okay Rach, you can think about it for a bit… but I think Joey is a good name," Joey suggested with a wink.

"Or Chandler," Chandler offered.

The group laughed at the comments. Joey then passed Cameron back to Rachel, happy to have taken his turn holding him.

When the group was silent it began to sink in that something was missing. Monica felt the need to mention what was on everyone's mind.

"Ross would have loved to be here," Monica stated, with that the atmosphere became tense.

"Have you talked to him recently?" Rachel asked, as the words left her lips it felt like opening a wound that had just began to heal. Ross hadn't spoken to her much, she figured he was hurt. In turn, it was painful to not speak to him, but she wanted to respect that he needed space.

"Yes. He couldn't get home again, he's… busy," Monica shared.

"Tell us again why you don't want to tell him about Mark? You know he'd be here in a heartbeat if he knew the truth," Phoebe said, unafraid to speak her mind.

"I told you, I can't do that to him. He needs to follow his dream, not be pulled back to New York. Plus, I want to tell him the truth in person," Rachel explained, directing her words not only to Phoebe but to everyone in the room.

"But, he hasn't been home for months…" Phoebe argued, her voice rising in pitch as she animatedly gestured with her hands. Joey gripped Phoebe's shoulder, attempting to get her to stop pushing the issue. Phoebe shut her mouth, she didn't want to upset Rachel on a day that should be happy.

Rachel decided to concentrate on Cameron, distracting herself by searching for a middle name that fit. She studied her little boy, he looked right back at her. She smiled, admiring his grey eyes. She adjusted the hat the nurses had put on his head, pulling it down to cover his head of dark blonde hair. The hat's fabric was printed with tiny dinosaurs.

Rachel immediately knew his middle name.

"I've decided on his middle name," Rachel announced, proudly.

"Really? What is it?" Joey asked on behalf of the entire group.

"His middle name will be Ross," Rachel declared, cautiously.

If Ross couldn't be around, or didn't want to be around, at least she could look at her son and be reminded of him. She wanted to be able to tell her son about the special person he was named after.

"Oh, Rach. Ross is going to love that," Monica gushed, touched by Rachel's gesture.

However, Rachel wondered if Ross _would_ be touched. Would he accept it just as their friends did, or would it hurt him that Rachel and _Mark's_ child was named after him?

…..

Yet another hotel room, Ross felt like a nomad, constantly travelling. Another day of filming had past, another day of excitement and discovery.

The months he had spent on his journey had become more meaningful than he could imagine. He had not only met scientists from around the world or been able to be on TV. He got to visit the sights where new fossils were being uncovered; he shared his ideas about said fossils, all in all he was involved in a few amazing discoveries.

His quiet night alone was interrupted by a notification echoing from his computer, telling him he'd received an email. Figuring it was his boss, he rapidly checked his inbox.

He smiled to himself when he realized the email was not from his work, but from Monica. Clicking on the link, he opened the letter.

_Ross,_

_I wanted to let you know that Rachel had her baby. _

_His name is Cameron. I took a picture so you could see him._

_Hope you're having fun. I'll talk to you soon._

_Love,_

_Monica_

She had decided to leave his middle name a surprise, figuring Rachel would want to tell Ross herself.

Ross' smile faded as he read the email. He was happy to know Rachel had had her baby, but it still hurt to know Mark was the father. Ross wanted to see her happy, even if that meant she would be raising a family with Mark. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something odd about that guy. But that was Rachel's choice to be with him.

He enjoyed every day of his trip to the fullest, it was his dream job. But, he continued to long to be with Rachel. He didn't want to accept that she and Mark had a family, it was one of the main reason's he didn't come home. He couldn't bring himself to put on a fake smile and watch Mark and Rachel together. Hopefully, he would move on one day, except, at the moment, distancing himself from the couple and distracting himself was the only way he could deal with the pain.

His mouse automatically clicked the picture attached to Monica's email.

In the picture Rachel held her baby in her arms. She still wore her hospital gown as she sat propped up in the hospital bed. The baby was wrapped in a blanket, his face only visible because the photo was taken from an upward angle.

His teardrops hit his hands that were on his keyboard. How could he feel so upset and yet moved at the same time?

He stared at Rachel's beautiful smile, she was glowing. The baby looked a lot like her, and for that reason he was touched by the sweet picture. He couldn't help but feel ecstatic that Mark wasn't in the photo. He didn't want to see the family together, not until he got over his jealousy.

Sadness still ached within his heart; Rachel was completely over him, while he was stuck in a standstill. He assumed he would have to witness Rachel and Mark get married someday, wasn't it the right thing for them to do?

For that reason he closed the picture, stepping away from his computer. He crawled into bed, hoping sleep would clear his mind, wash away his despair so he could try and move on.

…..

Ross had awoken from an uneasy sleep. He had travelled to the hotel lobby to get a coffee, needing the caffeine.

A few of the other scientists on the panel invited themselves to sit with Ross. He appreciated the distraction that they provided; it didn't give him a chance to think. They were deep in conversation when a producer approached their table.

"Oh good, most of you are here," The man exclaimed in a cheerful manner.

"Phillip, how are you?" One of the other scientists asked as they all rotated to face the producer.

"I'm fine. Though, I do have some good news and bad news for you all," Phillip explained, looking intensely at the panel. The men and women wore varied forms of confused and interested expressions as they listened.

"What's going on?" Another scientist asked, placing her cup of coffee on the table.

"The good news is that those fossils we discovered the other day are more important than we had originally thought. We need to discuss our findings with many more experts, and we're of course going to have to film more segments," Phillip explained, the extraordinary news making him upbeat and giddy as any scientist would be.

The table erupted into excited chatter. This discovery could change their lives. But, their exhilaration was interrupted when one scientist piped up.

"Wait, what's the bad news?" Upon hearing these words, the group became silent.

"It's not really bad news so much as a change of plans… we'll be travelling a lot now, so this trip is going to last much longer than anticipated," Phillip stated.

Then the group erupted into excitement again, no one minded staying longer if it meant being part of these findings.

"Ross, you've been quiet… are you on board?" One of his colleagues asked. Suddenly all eyes were on him.

Ross considered the proposition. He would be away from his friends longer, but maybe that wasn't a bad thing. They had each other, they didn't need him. Rachel had a family, which had now become reality, when before it was all in the future. The picture Monica had sent him appeared in his mind, Rachel had a son. She had moved on to a new chapter in her life and it was his turn to do the same.

He'd be able to visit his friends and family, he'd be back to visit New York eventually. He realized he'd be making history; above all he wanted to be part of the discovery of this incredible new fossil.

"I'd be crazy to pass up such an offer. I'm on board," Ross declared confidently.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Please leave a review to let me know whether you like this story – it gives me peace of mind.**

**Enjoy. **

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

As she softly tiptoed out the door she glanced back into the room. It was the room she shared with her son. The walls had been painted a soothing shade of green, the crib sat at the foot of her bed; the curtains muted the light that shone through the windows.

Rachel shut the door behind her, sighing exasperatedly. Cameron was finally down for a nap, after much protest.

It seemed like the older he grew the more time he wanted to socialize with the group. Especially now that he was crawling and learning to walk, exploring the giant world he had been brought into.

Rachel was overjoyed that her friends were there for her. With them around, the past months had been less stressful than she had expected. They had truly been there every step of the way.

As she meandered across the room her feet treaded from the wooden floor to the soft rug. She plunked onto the sofa, blissfully sinking into the comfortable depths of the cushions.

Monica had been courteous enough to let Rachel continue to live in apartment 20. Maybe it was secretly to be able to spend time around Rachel's baby, or maybe it was solely because she was a good friend. Rachel didn't care what Monica's reasoning was, she was thankful.

As her eyes scanned the room, Rachel was reminded of how much Cameron had grown. She realized he was no longer a newborn; he was almost one year old. The stages of his life were portrayed by the many photos around the room. Some included her friends, some were only him, but Monica had made sure to display the many pictures they had taken of him.

It was painfully obvious that the pictures were missing a very important friend. Of course, Ross could not be in the pictures when he hadn't been home to take any. He was on the other side of the world, still. He phoned them, he emailed, he chatted on the webcam, they watched him on TV. It wasn't like he was missing from their lives entirely.

Rachel only wished she had a moment to get the truth off her chest, the truth that Mark had left. She wanted to stop having to lie to Ross about it. It was getting to the point where she wanted to break the news over the phone. However, she knew that that was not the way to do it; she couldn't give him a reason to return to New York and not live his dream.

She shook her head, trying not to think about Ross. She missed him more with each passing day. She was so proud he'd found success, but she wished he'd come home for a visit. She longed to see him in person, they all wanted to talk and laugh as a group once again.

"Rach?" Monica whispered from across the coffee table. Rachel hadn't noticed Monica had crept over, she wondered how long she had been standing there.

"Oh, hey Mon," Rachel answered, snapping out of her daze. She watched as Monica stepped around the table, taking a seat beside her.

"I was thinking: Cam's first birthday is coming up in a few weeks, so I wanted to ask you… can I plan the party?" Monica questioned in a low voice that was bursting with excitement. She had her hands clasped pleading in front of her.

Monica had already dreamed of the perfect party, complete with food she would cook herself, and the apartment decorated in a theme fit for the wonderful little boy they were celebrating. Not to mention the fact that she would invite Rachel's family and friends to surround Cameron with all the love he deserved.

"Um… I guess," Rachel answered, giving it a bit of thought. "But it better be special, I mean, it is his _first_ birthday."

Rachel's uncertainty prompted Monica to place a comforting hand on her friend's knee.

"Don't worry Rach. I promise it _will_ be special," Monica stated, with a smile.

If only Rachel knew how truthful Monica was being.

…..

"Doctor Green, can I take your coat?" Chandler awkwardly asked as he opened the door for the final guest.

"Yes, yes. Where is my grandson? The birthday boy," Doctor Green exclaimed as he passed his coat into Chandler's awaiting arms.

The party was in full swing, complete with a cake and presents. Streamers were hung, balloons dotted the walls, Joey, Phoebe and Chandler decided to wear party hats along with Cameron.

Rachel basked in the friendly atmosphere, observing as her father swooped in to pick up Cameron from where he and Joey played on the carpet.

Cameron burst into bout of adorable giggles as Rachel's father bounced him in his arms. It was clear to the entire crowd at the party that the little boy was soaking up the attention. The entire evening, he had been smiling and laughing as people circulated around within the cozy apartment.

Rachel was pleased and, not to mention, impressed with the job Monica had done. Rachel's parents and friends were there, the food was excellent; therefore, she considered the party a success. She couldn't have planned it better herself.

"So should we sing Happy Birthday?" Rachel suggested, as she joined Monica who stood behind the couch.

Just as Monica opened her mouth to respond, there was a knock on the door. All the people in the room turned to see who had arrived.

"I'll get it," Monica exclaimed, her sudden jumpiness and excitement made Rachel curious.

All Rachel could manage to do was clamp a hand over her mouth when she saw who stood just beyond the door's threshold.

How could he be there?

There he stood, in the flesh. His eyes nervously scanning the apartment as no one said a word. They were all speechless.

"Ross!" his friends chorused, finally breaking the silence after the moment of shock had past. They all rushed over to hug him, blurting out questions, talking over each other.

"Monica told me you were celebrating Cameron's first birthday, so I pulled a few strings to be here to celebrate," Ross explained, answering everyone's burning question.

"We're so happy to have you home," Monica said. Ross wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her against his side for a few seconds.

He soon peered past the crowd that stood in front of him, studying the room. His eyes stopped when they found hers. They locked gazes. When the group noticed his distracted stare they let him pass.

He strode towards Rachel, both their hearts pounding as he approached.

"I-I can't believe you're here," Rachel stated softly, looking deep into his eyes. "What a wonderful surprise."

"I couldn't miss this," Ross explained, smiling at her.

Rachel stood on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck, hugging him close to her. He reacted by encircling his arms around her waist. He took a deep breath, inhaling her familiar scent as he closed his eyes.

"I have someone for you to meet," Rachel announced as soon as they parted. Ross followed her as she walked into the living room. Her father handed her Cameron; all the while, he coldly stared over Rachel's shoulder at Ross.

The rest of the friends tried not to eavesdrop, but they couldn't help themselves, this was an important moment that they had been waiting to witness.

"This is Cameron," Rachel introduced, holding the baby on her hip.

"Hi there, it's nice to finally meet you Cameron," Ross said, smiling at the baby in Rachel's arms.

Cameron was shy at first, but in the blink of an eye he had warmed up to Ross. He sweetly waved hello to Ross.

Ross admired the boy, he'd grown so much since he'd last seen a picture of him. His hair was slightly darker, his face had changed, he was certainly taller. But his big, expressive eyes were still the same hazel colour that Ross remembered from the last picture he'd seen.

"I, um, wanted to tell you something in person, as well," Rachel stated, causing Ross to look from Cameron's to her eyes.

"What is it Rach?" Ross asked in a confused manner.

"I've been waiting for the perfect moment to tell you his middle name is Ross. I named him after you… I hope that's okay," Rachel spoke, attempting to gauge Ross' reaction as she spoke.

"Seriously Rach? I feel honored," Ross admitted as he put a hand on his heart. Rachel let out the breath she had been holding, while waiting for his answer.

"Thanks Ross," Rachel whispered. She was just so relieved he was okay with this, that having this baby, Mark's baby, named after him wasn't a problem. Ross really had grown up.

"Can I hold him?" Ross asked, sheepishly.

"Yeah, of course," Rachel answered quickly, trying not to giggle at how sweet it was that Ross was nervous.

She passed Cameron into Ross' awaiting arms. He held him so he could see the little boy's face, watch his expression. Cameron wasn't fazed by the switch to this strange man's arms, he keep quiet, staring intently at Ross.

The rest of the party returned to chatting amongst themselves as the tension between Ross and Rachel faded.

Ross kept Cameron entertained by walking around the room with him. He caught up with his friends, earning about what had happened while he was gone. In turn, he told them stories about the sights he'd seen.

Then, it donned on Ross, a very important individual was missing from Cameron's party. When Ross continued around the room, returning to Rachel's side, he decided he would bring up the topic.

"Rach, can I ask you a question?" Ross inquired, as he handed Cameron back to Rachel.

"Sure," Rachel declared, slowly. She adjusted Cameron in her arms, watching Ross' eyebrow furrow.

"Where's Mark?" Ross questioned, having noticed he was missing. The whole room fell silent once again, as they heard Mark's name being mentioned by Ross. Before Rachel could answer, her father piped in.

"That asshole? He left a long time ago," Doctor Green exclaimed with an anger-filled temper.

"Daddy!" Rachel scolded, before turning back to face Ross. "I'll explain later, Ross."

"Who's ready for cake?" Monica asked, eagerly, changing the subject in lightning speed.

"Oh, I am!" Phoebe exclaimed as she raised her hand, enthusiastically hopping on board with Monica's idea to clear the tense atmosphere.

…..

Rachel placed her Cameron in his crib; the little guy was exhausted after all the excitement. The candles were blown out, the cake was eaten, the presents were opened; now everyone was on their way home.

She leaned over the side of his crib, kissing his forehead.

"Goodnight, my one-year-old," Rachel whispered, tearing up at the thought that her baby was growing up so fast.

Just then the door opened a crack, casting a line of light across the floor. Rachel stood up straight.

"Can we talk now?" Ross asked, softly.

"Sure, but not in here," Rachel whispered, gesturing to the sleeping baby.

Ross nodded, before Rachel made her way to the doorway. She closed the door behind her as Ross backed into the living room. They stood face to face.

"So, uh, what happened to Mark?" Ross asked, after looking over his shoulder to realize they stood in an empty apartment. Monica had gone to her bedroom after the guests departed.

"I told him I was pregnant and he left me. He didn't want to be a father, he didn't want a part in this," Rachel explained.

"That's terrible Rach. He went back on his promise to take care of you," Ross replied, his temper rising. How could Mark do this to her?

"It was a long time ago Ross, I've gotten by without him," Rachel stated. She wasn't trying to defend Mark, but she _was_ trying to calm Ross down.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Ross asked.

"I wanted to explain in person, but you didn't come home for a while-," Rachel began before Ross interjected.

"That's the thing Rach, I would have stayed here, I would have helped if I had only known," Ross declared, still heated.

"I wouldn't let you do that."

"Then, I'll stay now Rach."

"That's crazy. You have an amazing job; you'd have to give it up."

"But, I would Rach. For you I'd do anything. I've done this job for a while, I've lived my dream. I can stay," Ross stated, calming the conversation down significantly.

"You can't abandon your job Ross, not this one. Not for me," Rachel declared, softly. His gesture touched her heart. It would be so easy to tell him to stay, he could be home again, but she knew it was not the right choice.

"I don't want you to have to take care of this baby alone, Mark was a jerk for leaving you, I don't want to leave and do the same," Ross pleaded, staring at the ground to hold back tears.

Rachel took his hands in hers, causing him to look up at her slowly. With her thumbs, she rubbed soothing circles on the backs of his hands.

"You are _nothing_ like Mark, Ross," Rachel confirmed, forcefully. She stopped the motion on his hands. "We'll be okay, Cam and I. We've had the support from our friends all this time, that's not going to change."

"But, I want to help you too, I-I can't leave knowing you're raising this baby alone," Ross argued.

"And I can't let you stay knowing you'd be giving up being on TV, giving up doing something you love," Rachel responded, quickly.

"You've really grown up, haven't you Rach?" Ross asked with a chuckle. There was no trace left in her of the selfish rich girl she used to be.

"Well, so have you. I expected you to rub it in my face that you were right about Mark all along," Rachel laughed in return.

"I wouldn't do that now, I want to move on from all that anyway," Ross clarified.

"Then I'll make you a deal: we'll move on from the past, including the break, if you will stay on the show."

…..

"You guys don't have to come to the airport, I can just say goodbye here," Ross explained. He didn't want to deal with another emotional parting at the airport.

He didn't want to ruin the morning they'd had. They had had breakfast at Central Perk then they returned to Monica and Rachel's apartment to hang out before work. It had been a wonderful morning, just like old times.

Ross couldn't stay in New York for long, he was lucky to get the weekend off. He was packed and ready to head to the airport.

"Will you be home soon?" Monica asked on behalf of the group.

Ross had a feeling he could stick to his promise this time, a promise to be back to visit soon. He would return to New York as soon as he could, especially now that he didn't have to avoid Mark and Rachel's relationship any longer.

"I will. I'm really sorry about the amount of time I spent away last time," Ross apologised to the table of his friends.

"It's alright Ross," Chandler answered, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah Ross, you have a job some people only dream of," Joey said.

"Thanks Joe, and hey, I know you'll get your big break too," Ross spoke directly to Joey.

"Maybe I just have to become a paleontologist," Joey said jokingly, causing laughter to erupt amongst the friends.

"I have to go guys," Ross declared as he stood up from the table.

He shared a goodbye hug with each of his friends before stopping at Rachel. He took her hands in his, backing them towards the door, in order to distance themselves from the rest of the group.

"I won't forget you, Rach. I'll be thinking of you every day," Ross admitted. He knew this was the right time to get these words off his chest.

"I'll miss you," Rachel managed to respond.

"I'll miss you too. I'll make this up to you. Take care," Ross finished. When all Rachel could do was nod he took that as a goodbye.

He tenderly kissed her on the forehead, before unwillingly letting go of her hands.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Please enjoy and review. **

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

_Three Years Later…_

The nerves began to set in as he walked through the hallway, a corridor that seemed to go on for days. It was the moment of truth, a discussion he was thrilled to have and sad to have at the same time.

His future rested on this conversation.

It seemed like he had been thinking that very same thought only a few years previous. A few years ago his boss had decided to give him the chance to go on this amazing journey, and here he was, about to speak to his new boss.

The time he had spent travelling the globe, speaking to the world's scientists, being on TV, it was an experience he was truly honored to be a part of. His choice to spend the past years with his crew and panel of experts would be a choice he would not regret.

It was Rachel who had motivated him to do this, he owed her a lot. If it weren't for her he would have thrown in the towel, he would have come home and returned to his dead-end job.

The only way he could find it in himself to work hard and stay away from home was the people that he couldn't see every day: his friends and family. A future filled with promise and opportunities of all sorts lay ahead, and he owed it all to this job and the people he loved that had supported him with all their heart.

Ross missed them every day. He threw himself into his job so he wouldn't be depressed thinking about how far he was from them. They sent him pictures, they talked to him on a regular basis, but it sometimes only made him miss them more.

It had been a wild ride, seeing the world, holding newly discovered fossils in his own hands, but he always knew it would have to come to an end someday.

It was his time to step down from this position, let another young scientist take his place. It was time for him to return to New York. He had fulfilled his calling; he had gotten be involved in an experience that many scientists could only ever dream of.

He had lived his dream career, now he needed to return home to live his dream relationship.

He reached his destination, his boss' office. He rapidly wiped his sweating palms on his suit jacket before gripping the doorknob.

Ross opened the door a sliver, enough to peer through the gap. Before opening his mouth he cleared his throat. The sound caused his boss to look up from his desk.

"Sir, you wanted to talk?" Ross asked, nervously.

"Yes, yes, come in," The man said, enthusiastically. His boss' tone of voice offered Ross some encouragement; he seemed to be in a pleasant mood.

Ross awkwardly took a seat in the chair across from the man, clasping his hands in his lap.

"I spoke to The Museum of Natural History earlier today," Ross began, slowly.

"Do I need to find someone to take your place?" The man asked, lightheartedly.

"Uh, I guess so. They said they'd love to have me back in New York," Ross answered, unable to keep the smile from spreading across his face.

Not only had they told him they'd love to have him back, they said they would be honored to have him return after the journey he'd been on. The museum had even gone as far as deciding to name him Head of the Paleontology Department.

"That's good news, Doctor Geller... Are you 100% sure this is what you want?" The man questioned. But, Ross' heart was already set on returning home. Even if the museum hadn't taken him back, he would have gone home anyway. Being given this job and title was merely icing on the cake.

"I'm absolutely positive," Ross stated, his smile only growing. He thought about his friends and family, he couldn't wait to be with them again.

"We'll miss you around here," Ross' boss admitted sadly.

"I'll miss this too; it was a privilege to be a part of such a wonderful expedition," Ross declared, a serious tone to his voice.

He already missed being a part of such a great group of people, but he knew he had a spot back home with an even better group of people: his friends.

…..

"Monica, why are you acting so… crazy? The show doesn't start for another few minutes," Phoebe exclaimed from the living room. Monica continued to corral the group together so they would be seated comfortably around the TV in time for the show to begin. Everyone was seated except Rachel.

"Listen, Ross told me that the episode that is airing tonight is one we cannot miss, I'm just making sure we don't _miss_ it," Monica explained in a rush, while grabbing bowls of snacks. She set them on the table before taking a seat of her own.

"What is this all about Mon? What's so special about this episode?" Joey questioned, before he grabbed one of the bowls of chips, placing it in his lap.

"He didn't tell me what was going on, he just stressed that we _all_ have to be here to watch," Monica stated, glaring at Joey as he shoved a handful of chips into his mouth.

"Hope he gets to the point quickly, sitting through all this dinosaur stuff is something only he likes to do," Chandler commented.

Rachel closed the door behind her as she entered the living room from her and Cameron's bedroom.

"Has it started yet?" Rachel asked quietly, as she rushed into the room. It was past Cameron's bedtime and she had just managed to get him to fall asleep.

"No not yet, you're just in time," Monica said. She scooted over on the sofa to make room for the final member of their group. Chandler, Monica and Rachel shared the couch, Joey sat in the chair while Phoebe sat on the floor, upon a few pillows. Everyone was there, ready to watch and find out what Ross had been so excited to show them all.

No one knew what to expect, but from the way Monica had described it, it seemed like something important was going on.

The title sequence began - a preview about what would be on that episode. The excitement in the room escalated as they all waited on edge; all their eyes were glued to the TV screen.

"Welcome everyone tuning into this episode. We have an exciting show for you tonight. But, before we begin Doctor Geller would like to make an announcement," One of the panellists said, his voice echoing from the TV speakers. The group was dead silent, as if they held their breath in unison.

"Thank you Doctor Murray… I'd like to take this opportunity to tell the viewers at home that this will be my final episode, I've decided to step down from this position," Ross explained, looking directly into the camera as he spoke.

The friends couldn't speak, all wearing various expressions of shock and disbelief. Their wide eyes continued to stare at the TV set, listening as intently as possible.

"I'd like to quickly take this chance to say that I had a wonderful time on this show. I can't thank you all enough for making this experience so special. But, it's time for a new chapter in my life. I am in love with an amazing woman back in New York and it's time for me to stop travelling and be with her," Ross continued, gazing into the camera as if he were looking directly at Rachel.

Butterflies filled Rachel's stomach, her heart skipping a beat. Tears immediately flooded her vision, the salty drops trickling down her cheeks. Monica immediately wrapped an arm around Rachel's shoulder, squeezing her tightly. She was beyond ecstatic that her brother and best friend could have their happy ending after all.

"It's been a pleasure having you on the air," One of the scientists told Ross, shaking his hand.

"We'll be back after this commercial break," Another one of the scientists stated.

The minute the commercial began, the group broke out in a flurry of excitement. They all had something to say about Ross and Rachel, but it just became whispers upon whispers of indecipherable enthusiasm.

"What did I tell you guys? Didn't I tell you they were lobsters?" Phoebe exclaimed, with a beaming grin that lit up her face.

"How do you feel, Rach?" Monica asked, noticing that Rachel had been very quiet.

"I-I just can't believe he said that… he loves me," Rachel said - it was a statement, not a question.

"Are you happy?" Joey asked, softly, casting a serious tone on the group.

"I'm more than happy," Rachel simply replied; earning a sigh of relief from the crowd whose sights were centred on her.

…..

Later that evening, she couldn't sleep. The anticipation, the exhilaration, kept her awake as if she'd had a caffeinated drink before going to bed.

Rachel lay on her side, staring at the dark room her eyes had adjusted to. Ross' words continued to echo through her head. It was as if she could actually hear him speak. His intense stare remained in her memory; she knew he was speaking directly to her when he had confessed his love.

When she turned over, facing her son who lay next to her in the double bed. His head of light brown hair and angelic face were all that could be seen from under the comforter. She smiled as she imagined Ross seeing Cameron once more, they could actually get to know each other now that Cameron was no longer a baby, but a very intelligent 4-year-old.

Rachel's excitement slowly faded as she focused on her son. How would he feel about Ross coming into their lives so quickly? How would he react if they were to get together?

If it were years in the past when Rachel didn't have a child to worry about she would have jumped at the chance to be with Ross, especially after what he'd said on TV. But now she had to think about her son as well. She would have to decide what would be best for them both.

What if it didn't work out with Ross? It could hurt Cameron.

But, on the other hand, what if everything did go smoothly? Her son could have a father figure in his life. He had never had a father. Maybe this was a good choice for Rachel to make, letting Ross into their lives.

At the moment she knew worrying wouldn't get her anywhere. There was a better time to think about the details of a relationship with Ross. She knew she would figure out the answer to her burning questions.

Rachel observed Cameron, the peaceful expression on his face calming her immensely. Listening to his slow breaths lulled Rachel to sleep.

…..

The chatting amongst the group kept Rachel distracted from her thoughts. All of Ross' friends were there to welcome him home. Rachel had left Cameron with her mother, figuring this was not the right time to introduce Ross to him.

Cameron knew a bit about what was going on, mostly because Rachel had attempted to give him an idea about where she was going and what she was doing. But, now was not the right time to bring him into this.

Her mind was cluttered with thoughts as she stood in the airport. Her heart was in her throat as his arrival time quickly approached. The whole day had been filled with excitement as they all discussed their pleasure in having their friend home. They had undoubtedly supported his career; they were pleased that he had taken the opportunity that he did. But, saying they missed him was an understatement.

Everyone was preparing for his arrival; Joey began to unroll the poster he had made to welcome Ross home. They were arranged in a line for his entrance, giddy and antsy to see him walk through the gate.

When the flight came in, a rush of passengers exited the doorway. The five had a difficult time spotting Ross in the sea of faces. Then they caught sight of him in the crowd, his head bobbing above a few others, a grin across his face. He only carried one bag over his shoulder, not having a chance to retrieve his other luggage yet.

The four friends froze in place when they saw Rachel step forward. They didn't know what she would do but they watched the interaction between the two.

Rachel strode slowly towards him, walking at the same pace he did, she continued to hope this wasn't all a dream.

They stopped when they were face to face, staring deeply into each other's eyes. There was a brief pause before Ross put his bag down. He didn't know how Rachel would react; he had put himself out there, telling the world he loved her. But, he had always wished he had said those words sooner, he wished he had had the courage to tell her he loved her a long time ago.

She wore a serious expression; Ross couldn't tell what she was thinking. Was she angry that he had admitted he loved her? Did she not want to be with him? Was she glad he was back? A million questions were prompted by her gaze.

However, her icy façade was melted by her radiant smile. She slowly reached up in order to gently hold his cheeks in her soft hands. She studied his face for a second as tears came to her eyes. This really wasn't a dream; he really did stand in front of her, his soft, warm eyes focused only on her.

She pulled his lips to hers, kissing him in the middle of the airport. Ross was shocked by her boldness but quickly responded by wrapping her in a warm embrace. Their lingering kiss was full of passion, which continued to burn bright as they parted, hugging each other close.

Ross was optimistic that this was a beginning to a new chapter in their lives. He couldn't think of a better reason to be back in New York.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: I do realize I skipped a **_**lot**_** of time in the last chapter, but it has a purpose, I promise.**

**I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, but I've been extremely busy. But, it looks like all my hard work is paying off – I've received a few early acceptances to university! :D**

**Anyway, please enjoy this new chapter.**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

The entire group of friends unpacked Ross' belongings, returning them to their rightful places within his old apartment. Everyone was there except for Ross; they planned on surprising him by unpacking for him. The whole thing was Monica's idea. She could kill two birds with one stone: help her brother get settled into his apartment while getting a chance to organize his possessions.

Just then, the sound of keys in the lock filled the apartment. All of them stopped to watch Ross enter.

"Welcome home!" Phoebe exclaimed, causing Ross to jump in a startled manner.

"W-what are you doing?" Ross asked as he tried to catch his breath.

"We're unpacking," Chandler stated in a very unenthusiastic tone.

"Well, thanks," Ross responded as he took off his jacket.

When he scanned the apartment, his eyes found the person he wanted to see most. Rachel stood in his living room her sleeves rolled up, a box by her side. But she was not alone, beside her stood a young boy - Ross immediately knew it was Cameron.

When Rachel's looked up to meet Ross' gaze she smiled. Then she whispered something to the little boy before taking his hand. The two of them walked across the apartment towards Ross.

Ross' heart pounded in his chest as they came closer. It had been such a long time since he'd seen Cameron he'd forgotten what he looked like.

"Ross, I'd like you to officially meet Cameron," Rachel introduced before turning to her son. "Cam, say hello to your Uncle Ross," she told him sweetly. Cameron studied Ross timidly before a slight smile crossed his face.

"Hi, Uncle Ross," Cameron greeted shyly.

"Hello Cameron, it's nice to finally talk to you. Last time I saw you, you were only a baby," Ross stated, bending down to the little boy's height. "I like your shirt," Ross complemented, being friendly.

"Mommy told me to wear it because it has a dinosaur on it and you like dinosaurs," Cameron explained to Ross.

"Do you like dinosaurs?" Ross asked, continuing to stay at Cameron's height.

"He does," Rachel answered on behalf of her shy son.

"In that case I'd like to give you something," Ross told Cameron, before he stood up and found the box he was looking for. Ross reached inside and pulled out what looked like a rock.

"A fossil," Cameron commented when Ross returned, he stared at it in awe.

"Yes, that's right. You can have it," Ross stated, handing the fossil to Cameron's small hands.

"Thank you," Cameron said. Then he sat on the couch to study the fossil carefully.

"Thanks Ross," Rachel said, when the two were left alone.

"It's not a problem," Ross said with a shrug.

"I think you two are going to get along great," Rachel commented as she watched her son examine the fossil from every angle.

…..

The group was finally finished unpacking and they all sat around Ross' living room, relaxing.

"So how much have I missed?" Ross asked to fill a moment of silence.

"Well, Chandler and I are dating," Monica admitted carefully.

"You're what? Why didn't you tell me?" Ross exclaimed, angrily glaring directly at Chandler.

"Oh calm down Ross. It's only been a few months and we wanted it to be a surprise," Monica explained. Ross calmed down swiftly, figuring his sister couldn't be with a better guy.

Rachel put a hand on Ross' knee, rubbing it in soothing circles. Ross' gaze met hers for a moment, before he wrapped an arm around her delicately.

Phoebe whispered to Joey as they sat on the floor together. The rest of the friends noticed and stared at them curiously.

"What are you two whispering about?" Rachel asked pointing at her two friends.

"I was just saying that it looks like my lobsters are back together," Phoebe said with a giddy expression on her face.

This assumption made Rachel glance quickly at Cameron to make sure he hadn't heard. But her son was occupied, reading a picture book by the window. Rachel then turned her gaze on Ross. She didn't need to ask anything, her expressive eyes asked for her.

"I really want to put everything behind us. We can start fresh and forget all our mistakes. We have grown up now," Ross explained in a low voice, but the others couldn't help but eavesdrop on their conversation.

"I completely agree-," Rachel began, when she was interrupted by Phoebe.

"See Joey, what did I tell you?" Phoebe asked proudly.

"Hold on Pheebs… Ross can I talk to you a minute?" Rachel questioned, uncomfortable with all eyes on them.

"Of course," Ross agreed. They both stood up and walked into the back hallway.

"I was about to say that… I completely agree, but I think we need to take this slower than we've been taking it. I do need to think about Cameron; I need to make sure he's okay with this. Also I don't want to wreck our relationship by moving too fast, because that would just crush him," Rachel explained in a whisper.

"That's fine with me Rach. If you want, we can stay friends for now, catch up and then see where it goes after that," Ross suggested.

"Thank you, Ross," Rachel answered emotionally.

"You really raised Cameron well," Ross confessed, changing the topic slightly.

"You think so?" Rachel asked modestly.

"I do. He's so sweet and smart. You did a wonderful job on your own," Ross declared, glancing through the doorway to gaze at Cameron.

"He's a great kid," Rachel smiled, also looking at her son.

"I'd like to get to know him better. Do you think I could take him with me to work tomorrow?" Ross suggested, turning his attention back to Rachel. She was shocked by Ross' idea; she never would have believed Ross would like her son that much, since Mark was Cameron's father.

"Um, if you want. I'm sure he'd love it at the museum," Rachel answered.

"Then that's settled, I'll take him tomorrow," Ross confirmed. He really wanted to get to know Rachel's son, not only because it could help his and Rachel's relationship, but because Cameron was a really great kid. They shared a common love for science, which made Ross feel ecstatic.

"He'd love that. You can take him, that is, if it's okay with the museum. You _have_ only been back for a few days," Rachel spoke as she kindly looked up at Ross' expression, furrowing her brow in concern.

"I'm head of the Paleontology Department, I'm sure everything will be fine. It's the least I can do to get to know him after not being in his life for so long," Ross clarified, watching as Rachel's expression fell.

"You know you don't need to feel guilty," Rachel proclaimed. She gently took one of Ross' hands in both of her own to show how serious she was.

"Let me do this for him. Please," Ross pleaded.

…..

After the busy morning the two had had it was nice to get outside. On Ross' lunch break he brought Cameron to Central Park. They sat on a park bench together, enjoying the shade of a large tree. Ross had bought Cameron a hot dog from a street vendor, they ate peacefully in each other's company.

Ross recalled their morning, he had enjoyed every minute he got to spend with Rachel's son.

Most of their cab ride was quiet, neither Ross nor Cameron knew what to say as first. It wasn't an awkward silence; they just didn't know each other well. The air was filled with Cameron's excitement. Ross could tell how thrilled Cameron was as he watched the young boy stare out the window, waiting for the museum to come into view.

He remembered the look in Cameron's eyes as the vast, white columns and stone walls greeted them. Cameron stared up at the building in awe as they climbed out of the taxi, onto the sidewalk. Ross had soon led him up the steps and through the giant doorway.

The rest of their day began immediately. Ross took Cameron on a tour of the exhibits. The little boy was amazed and interested to see the sights around every corner. Ross told him facts and Cameron soaked it all in with a smile on his face the entire time.

However, the best part of both of their day was when they reached the Paleontology Department. Seeing all the fossils and displays of dinosaur bones were what intrigued Cameron more than anything. Ross loved the fact that they shared the same passion for Science and Paleontology. It made it easy to relate to Rachel's son, it was easy to get to know him through their shared passion.

Ross relived his first visit to the Museum of Natural History through Cameron. He remembered how excited he was to be in a place surrounded by Science. He remembered walking through the impressive entrance only to be greeted by skeletons of dinosaurs. Getting to give Cameron this experience was an honor, he knew how important it was to him.

"You won't tell your mom I bought you a hot dog, will you?" Ross questioned in a joking manner. Cameron was watching as people passed by until he was distracted by Ross speaking to him.

"I promise I won't," Cameron confirmed, smiling knowingly at Ross.

"Did you have fun today?" Ross asked.

"I had _so_ much fun. Thank you for taking me," Cameron exclaimed. He had been unsure of Ross at first. But now he really liked having him as an uncle, especially because he had had such a wonderful time at the museum.

Ross studied Cameron's face when he looked elsewhere. Sometimes he forgot that he was partly Mark's son. All he could see in him was Rachel: the shape of lips, his smile, his kind heart. The other part of him was something unidentifiable. His soft, hazel eyes were not Rachel's or Mark's, they were captivatingly unique.

His knowledge was not that of a four year old, Cameron was wise beyond his years. He found it amusing that he lived up to his middle name: Ross. His love for Science, his curiosity, was much like his own. His middle name fit him well.

At that moment, Ross' thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket, bringing it to his ear.

"Hello, Doctor Ross Geller speaking," Ross said into the phone.

"Ross, it's Monica," Monica's voice spoke from the other side of the phone call.

"Oh, hey Mon. How's it going?" Ross asked, as Cameron watched him with great interest.

"It's going well. I was just wondering if you wanted to bring Cameron here for the rest of the day. I'm sure you have work to get done," Monica suggested casually.

"Um, that's probably a good idea. I'll bring him by," Ross agreed, as he noticed Cameron's tired gaze.

"I'll see you two soon then?" Monica questioned.

"Yes. Bye Mon," Ross ended, closing the phone and returning it to his pocket. "That was your Aunt Monica, I'm going to bring you there for the rest of the day, okay?" Ross informed to Cameron.

"But, can't I stay with you?" Cameron pleaded, giving Ross his best puppy-dog eyes. Then he yawned sleepily.

"How about I give you a piggy-back ride all the way to the apartment and we can go back to the museum another day?" Ross bargained.

"O-kay," Cameron sighed in disappointment.

Just as the two of them stood up a woman stopped in front of them. She smiled looking from Ross to Cameron.

"Wow, you son looks just like you," The woman exclaimed, smiling at Ross. Before Ross could correct her, she was gone.

Ross shrugged off the bizarre comment, letting Cameron climb on his back. But the stranger's words stuck in his mind the entire walk to Monica's.

…..

As soon as they arrived at apartment 20 Cameron fell fast asleep on the sofa. He had had an exhausting morning filled with excitement and exploration, he was tired out.

"Looks like you two had a good time," Monica commented after she covered Cameron with a blanket. His heavy breaths soon filled the room as the siblings conversed.

"We both really enjoyed it. He's a great kid," Ross explained. He couldn't help but smile.

"He really is. And he loves dinosaurs and anything Science related, I don't know where he got that interest from. But, I'm sure you're his hero now," Monica chuckled. She and Ross whispered to each other in the kitchen.

"I guess I'll get back to work," Ross decided, although he began to feel like he didn't want to leave.

"I'll let Rachel know you brought her son here," Monica confirmed. However, Ross did not focus on her; he studied Cameron one final time. His mind was cluttered with thoughts.

"Thanks… I'll, uh, see you later," Ross said, distractedly. Monica said he goodbyes as Ross turned to exit the apartment, closing the door behind him as quietly as possible.

As he climbed into a taxi he couldn't get his mind off of Cameron. The more he thought about it the more fixated he became.

Rachel's son was so similar to himself, it was unnerving. His kind personality, his thirst for knowledge, and his shyness were only a few traits that stood out to Ross immediately. As he got to know Cameron all these similarities became clear.

But, it didn't end at his personality: his appearance could be compared to his as well. He realised why his eyes were so captivating, it was like looking into his own. The woman at the park had even noticed that they looked alike.

Maybe he was just looking at this too deeply. But what if he wasn't?

His thoughts took him back to the night he and Rachel slept together to say goodbye, their bonus night. What if they had conceived Cameron on that night? Was he crazy to think that could be true, that Cameron was not Mark's after all?

Could Cameron really be his son?


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: There will only be 2 more chapters and an Epilogue after this update.**

**Have a Merry Christmas everyone! Maybe a gift to me can be some reviews? ;)**

**Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

After work, Ross felt drawn to Monica's apartment. He couldn't help but feel as if he needed to see Cameron; he wanted to either confirm or disprove his suspicions.

He had stayed concentrated on his work all day, even when his mind wanted to wander. Now his thoughts about Cameron raced back to him. Ross needed to find out more about him. It weighed on his chest, and made his heart pound to consider the possibilities.

When he reached the familiar apartment door, he didn't hesitate before walking in. Monica was alone with Cameron, they were watching TV together.

"Hey Ross," Monica greeted, turning on the couch to wave at her brother.

"Hey Mon, hi Cameron," Ross answered in turn.

"So how was work?" Monica asked. She got up from the sofa to join Ross in the kitchen. Cameron ignored the grown-up talk; he was used to doing so.

"It was, uh, good," Ross answered distractedly. He glanced over at Cameron who continued to tune them out.

"He's a good kid, isn't he?" Monica asked, seeing where Ross' attention lay.

"He is," Ross stated firmly.

"He's so quiet, but such a bright kid. And he certainly has Rachel's kind heart," Monica rambled. She loved Cameron as if he were a part of her family. Ross took a moment to absorb her words, but they only sparked his desire to get a few things off his chest.

"I only wish I could have been around more," Ross admitted in a low voice. He stared at his shoes in regret. The more he thought about Cameron being his son, the more he wished he'd been around.

"Don't do that to yourself Ross," Monica pleaded, causing Ross to look at her with glassy eyes. "You know you didn't have a choice."

"But I did have a choice. I could have stayed. Mark left her and then I chose to leave too," Ross admitted in a whisper. It was the first time he'd ever thought that way. He glanced up again only to watch Monica's face immediately twist into anger.

"You are not at all like Mark. You did not abandon your child," Monica fumed. Her words put a lump of guilt in Ross' throat.

"Can I confess something?" Ross questioned. His nervous appearance melted Monica's icy glare, she could tell something was on his mind.

"Sure…" She responded hesitantly.

"Maybe in the hall?" Ross suggested, gesturing to the door.

"Okay," Monica told Ross, before turning to Cameron. "Cam, we'll be in the hall for one second, alright?"

"All right," Cameron responded without looking away from the TV screen.

Monica followed Ross into the hall, leaving the door slightly open behind them.

"What's up Ross?" Monica asked curiously.

"I don't know how to say this but, um, Rachel and I slept together the night before I left the first time," Ross began, gauging Monica's reaction as he spoke. Her eyes were wide with shock.

"She never told me that…" Monica confessed, crossing her arms.

"That's not all. I think Cameron could be mine," Ross admitted quietly.

Monica just brought a hand to her mouth, speechless. She had almost declined his suspicion, but it hit her; it made sense. She had always wondered where Cameron got a few of his personality traits, now it was clear.

She had a feeling Ross was right.

…..

The office was quiet; many people had already left for the night. It was an eerie silence, to say the least – it was a stark contrast to the floor that always seemed to be full of life. Rachel had a few more tasks to finish then she herself would get to go home.

As she turned off her computer and put away a number of files, she couldn't help but feel excited to get home. She knew all her friends would be home to greet her after her long day, including Ross.

A knock on the door brought her thoughts to a halt.

"Come in," She called; confused to know someone needed to see her at this time of the day.

Her upbeat mood came crashing to a halt as soon as the door opened.

"Hi," Mark stammered, it was the one voice she thought she'd never hear again.

"Get the hell out of my office," Rachel demanded, furiously pointing at the door.

"Wait, wait, hear me out, please," Mark pleaded. Rachel trudging towards him to try to escape his presence, but Mark put an arm across the doorway, stopping her in her tracks.

"Why are you here?" Rachel snapped. She crossed her arms, icily glaring at him.

"I was crazy to leave you all those years ago, it wasn't fair to you," Mark apologised, genuinely sorrowful. Rachel's aggression subsided slightly; though she remained guarded, she listened to him.

"It wasn't fair to your son," Rachel clarified.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I guess I just freaked out," Mark explained.

"So after all these years what did you come here for?" Rachel asked, confused. She relived past pain as he stood in her office, she remembered the words he turned her away with. She had gotten over Mark the moment Ross came home, why did he choose to return now?

"I want to be in my child's life, I've been feeling so guilty about leaving," Mark confessed, staring directly at Rachel.

She considered his words before answering. Was it fair to let Mark back into Cameron's life? Would it do more harm than it would good?

On one hand, her son deserved to know where he came from. He deserved to know his father. In addition, Mark seemed to genuinely want to take part in Cameron's life. He appeared to be genuinely sorry. Rachel could give her son a sense of family, instead of the life he'd grown up in, without a father.

On the other hand, she knew Mark could leave again - he did abandon them once. What if Cameron grew to like his father, what if he liked having him in his life, and then Mark left them. She didn't want Mark to break her son's heart like he had broken Rachel's all those years ago.

"I'll have to think about it Mark," Rachel stated uncertainly.

"I understand," Mark nodded, shoving his hands into his coat pockets.

"I'm going to go," Rachel declared after an awkward silence passed between them.

"Okay, but let me know what you decide," Mark specified.

"Alright, bye Mark," Rachel whispered. She quickly squeezed past him through the doorway, continuing down the hall without so much as looking back.

Her entire ride home was filled with the buzz of thoughts bouncing through her mind. She went back and forth on her decision many times without coming to a single conclusion. Why did this have to happen now? Things were going so well in her life and now she had to react to the curveball that was thrown at her.

She absentmindedly made the entire trip back to her apartment. As she walked up the winding staircase she tried to remember what she had been excited about before Mark came. Her stress and uncertainty clouded her joyfulness. At least she would be distracted by her friends as soon as she got inside, at least her friends could be there to support her.

"Hey Rach," Phoebe greeted, as soon as Rachel opened the door.

"Hi guys," Rachel responded. She attempted to let go of her tension when she saw the apartment was filled with her friends' smiling faces.

"Mommy!" Cameron exclaimed when he turned to see who entered the apartment. He ran straight into her arms.

"Hi honey, how was your day?" Rachel asked, kissing her son on the head.

"It was so much fun," Cameron explained enthusiastically.

"You had fun with your Uncle Ross did you?" Rachel questioned her son, all the while smiling at Ross. Her distress was pushed to the back of her mind as she stood surrounded by her friends, holding Cameron in her arms.

"Can we go again sometime?" Cameron asked Ross, pleading with puppy-dog eyes.

"You had better take him back," Chandler piped in, "he's been talking non-stop about that museum all day."

"He's been talking about it more than when Chandler and I took him to the Knicks game," Joey added, apparently disappointed.

"Maybe we can bring Mommy next time," Cameron suggested. Rachel couldn't help but hug him tighter after his sweet comment.

"We'll go again," Ross confirmed, smiling at Cameron. Rachel put the little boy down so he could return to hanging out with the group of friends. Rachel approached Ross as soon as Cameron was occupied with Joey and Chandler.

"Sounds like you two had fun," Rachel stated, "he's really warmed up to you."

"He's a great kid, what can I say," Ross declared.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Rachel asked out of the blue.

"Sure. We can step into the hall…" Ross proposed - that was the go to place for private conversations.

"Definitely," Rachel agreed, leading Ross out the door.

Monica watched as the couple left. She hoped Ross would tell Rachel what he had admitted to her. The more she looked at Cameron, the more evident it became that he was Ross' son. His soft hazel eyes, his long face, some of his mannerisms. She had grown up with Ross, and she now noticed that Cameron was a spitting image of her brother when he was a child.

Ross closed the door behind them as Rachel turned to face him. She stood only a few feet from him, a distance he wanted to cross so badly. He wanted to have Rachel in his arms once again; however, he would respect her wish to take things slow.

He wanted to tell Rachel his suspicion, but now was not the time. Rachel appeared to be troubled, something was on her mind.

"What's wrong Rachel?" Ross asked; concern interlaced in his serious tone.

"I-I don't know if you'll want to hear about this, but I felt like I needed to tell you this," Rachel explained in a nervous rush.

"You can tell me anything, you know that Rach," Ross stated. His heart pounded frantically in his chest. He tried not to get his hopes up, but it seemed like she was about to tell him that Cameron was Ross' son.

"I know, I know – okay here it goes," Rachel said quickly. "Mark came to my office, that's why I got home late."

Ross' heart sank with as her words reached his ears, his stomach twisted and knotted.

"Wh-what happened?" Ross stuttered.

"He wanted to tell me he wants to be in Cameron's life," Rachel admitted. The atmosphere in the small hallway was rapidly becoming very tense.

"What did you tell him?" Ross prompted.

"I told him I'd have to think about it," Rachel admitted to Ross.

"I don't know about this Rach," Ross admitted honestly.

"He's Cameron's father, I don't know what else to do," Rachel declared in a distraught manner.

"But he left you two. He gave up the honor to be Cameron's father as soon as he walked out on you," Ross explained.

"I know he walked out on me Ross, you don't need to tell me what happened," Rachel said, her emotions all spiraling into anger. She was upset that she didn't know what to do, she was upset that she was considering letting a man like Mark back into her life. Nonetheless, she couldn't stay infuriated, her rage soon turned into tears.

"I'm sorry to bring up the past. It's just that I don't want you to put yourself through that pain again," Ross whispered. Rachel turned to slowly sit on the step.

"I deserved it Ross. I deserved to have him leave me," Rachel admitted, looking up at him with teary eyes.

"What are you talking about Rachel?" Ross asked.

"It's true. I felt like Mark leaving, being separated from you, it was all karma for using Mark, for hurting you," Rachel admitted, it was a thought that had crossed her mind the day Mark told her he didn't want anything to do with her.

"Please don't think that way," Ross pleaded as he sat beside her on the step. He took both her hands in his. "We both made stupid judgements, I cheated, and you used Mark. You only wanted a way to show me how much pain I caused you. But we've grown so much since then; we can put it all behind us."

"Thank you Ross," Rachel could barely utter.

"I don't want you to think that way," Ross explained, shyly.

"I still need to make a decision though," Rachel changed the topic back to her encounter with Mark. Her choice could change her and her son's life drastically.

"Think about it a bit longer," Ross advised.

"But doesn't Cameron deserve to know his father?" Rachel questioned. Ross could have easily blurted out his suspicions that he was Cameron's father. But, Rachel interrupted his thoughts. "You know what; I will think about it myself. This is too much to ask of you."

"If that's what you want, Rach," Ross stated.

"I do. Thank you for your help, but let's leave it there and just go back inside," Rachel concluded, wiping the makeup from beneath her eyes.

"Um, sure, let's go," Ross agreed reluctantly. He couldn't say what he wanted to confess, the words wouldn't come to him.

They made their way back into the apartment. Rachel joined her son on the couch, letting him rest his tired head against her shoulder.

As Ross watched mother and son interact he couldn't help but think. If he was Cameron's father they could be a family. Rachel wouldn't have to make any decisions about Mark; she wouldn't have to feel pain any longer. Mark would be out of their life.

He just needed to find the right moment to tell her what he thought. He longed to tell her that he knew he was Cameron's father. However, he now knew it would take a lot of courage to say these words.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Enjoy the chapter - only two more will follow. **

**Happy New Year everyone! All the best in 2013!**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

The sun greeted them, coming out just as they arrived at the park, the warm beams breaking through their cloudy prison. Ross held one of Cameron's hands and Rachel held Cameron's other, as they strolled down the winding path.

The last time they had been to this park Ross had brought Ben to meet Cameron. The two boys were only a couple of years apart. Both Ross and Rachel were pleased that their son's had taken a liking to each other.

Today, Cameron had insisted that they go out and do something together. He had become attached to Ross over the past weeks, a progression Ross was overjoyed to experience. He hoped that spending time with Rachel and Cameron would help Rachel see what he saw. He hoped that when he told Rachel his suspicions she would realize it immediately.

He planned to tell her soon, but every time he tried there was always something in the way – true Ross and Rachel timing.

As they approached a park bench, Ross and Rachel took a seat together while Cameron ran off to play.

A light breeze swept through the trees, blowing a few strands of Rachel's golden hair into her face. Ross subconsciously reached out to tuck the hair behind her ear, staring into her eyes with passion the entire time.

Ross immediately became nervous as he realized he wasn't following Rachel's request to take things slow. He swiftly turned his gaze to the dirt-covered ground beneath their feet.

Ross glanced around; the atmosphere was strangely quiet for such a busy city. Not many people were around. He took a deep breath through his nose, gathering some courage. This was the perfect moment for a heart-to-heart conversation, no people to eavesdrop, and he had to get this off his chest. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Rachel cut him off.

"Can I confess something?" Rachel asked, her eyes fearfully scanning the park.

"What's wrong, Rach?" Ross responded, sensing her nervousness.

"I set up a time for Mark to meet Cameron," Rachel admitted softly.

"Really? Wow. So, um, when's the big day?" Ross questioned, making conversation to try and distract himself from the knots that twisted his stomach.

"Today… I kind of invited him to meet us here," Rachel cringed. She didn't know how Ross would react, but she needed to let him know before Mark showed his face.

"You know I don't like Mark the slightest bit," Ross stated seriously. He didn't want to see Mark ever again and now he would be here to interrupt his time alone with Rachel and Cameron.

"I knew you'd react like that," Rachel disclosed with frustration.

"What did you expect Rachel? This is _Mark_ we're talking about," Ross stated, bitterly. He crossed his arms across his chest.

"I'm scared, Ross," Rachel whispered, "I wanted a friend to be here for support." Tears stung her eyes as she spoke. Ross immediately softened. It didn't matter what he thought anymore, what feeling he had towards Mark. He would be there to give Rachel the confidence she needed.

"I'm here for you," Ross declared, placing a hand sympathetically on her knee.

"Thank you, Ross," Rachel said, looking at him with glassy eyes.

Ross gingerly put his arm around her, bringing her close. He could feel her heart pounding as he hugged her to his side. He wished he could calm her, but there was nothing he could do or say to help her in a situation like this.

Ross only wished she didn't have to do this, that Mark wasn't the father. There was one way to stop this meeting from happening. Slowly his courage returned once more.

"I just need to figure out how to explain to Cameron who Mark is," Rachel said, ponderingly.

"What if you didn't need to explain who Mark is?" Ross stated, causing Rachel to pull away from him to get a view of his eyes. She stared at him with a confused expression.

"What are you talking about Ross? I need to tell Cameron that Mark is his father," Rachel explained.

"Before you do, I have something I'd like to, uh, run by you," Ross declared, uneasily shifting his gaze away from Rachel's face.

"What's going on?" Rachel inquired, wanting desperately to hear what was on his mind. He seemed very perplexed as if he was trying to find the right words to say.

"I have to be honest with you, Rach, because this has been on my mind for weeks," Ross began, building up to what he needed to admit.

"Then tell me, tell me now," Rachel pleaded in a low voice.

"I think I could be Cameron's father," Ross declared, in a voice as low as Rachel's.

Rachel was taken aback. Her brow furrowed as she absorbed the confession. Could what he said be true? All this time she had just assumed Cameron was Mark's son, but could she have been wrong this entire time?

"Wh-why would you think that?" Rachel asked, unable to think straight.

"He looks like me, he acts like me, he even treats me like a father," Ross listed. Then he took both of Rachel's hands in his own, causing her to turn her eyes on him. His deep brown eyes gave her comfort yet gave her chills at the same time.

She was about to reply when a figure approached them. Ross immediately dropped Rachel's hands as they both discovered that Mark had arrived.

"Hi Rachel," Mark greeted, smiling down at Rachel. Then he turned to Ross, his smile fading as he studied Ross briefly. "Hi, um, Ross," Mark said nervously.

"Mark," Ross responded hostilely.

"So Cameron's right over there, let me get him," Rachel said, leaving the two men alone.

"Wait, Rach," Ross spoke, causing her to turn on her heel.

"I have to get Cameron," Rachel answered tensely.

"What are you doing? Don't you believe me?" Ross asked. She could see the hurt in his eyes as she began to back away.

"I have to go," Rachel whispered hoarsely. With that, she headed towards Cameron.

Ross didn't face Mark, he watched as Rachel approached her son. He watched as his future slowly slipped from his grasp. If she introduced Mark to Cameron there was no turning back.

"So what are you doing here?" Mark asked, making idle conversation, interrupting Ross' thoughts.

"Rachel needed a friend, so I stayed," Ross explained sternly, effectively ending the conversation. Mark stood awkwardly alongside Ross.

Rachel crouched to Cameron's level, holding his hands in her own. Ross wondered what she told him, he wondered how Cameron would react. The young boy looked at his mother with his large hazel eyes, bewilderment woven into his gaze.

"I have someone I want you to meet," Rachel told her son, faking cheerfulness; she managed to keep any shakiness from her voice. She was still nervous, and, not to mention, still shocked by Ross' words.

"That man?" Cameron questioned, staring directly at Mark.

"Yes, come with me," Rachel said, letting go of one of Cameron's hands as she stood. She decided not to tell him Mark was his father. Ross had made her think that he was truly her son's father. In addition, she didn't want to scare her son with such big news; she would at least let Cameron get to know Mark.

Cameron held on to his mother's hand with a tight grip. He walked slightly behind her as they approached the strange man.

"So this is Cameron," Mark chimed, smiling down at the boy.

"Hi," Cameron said shyly.

"I'm Mark," Mark introduced, holding out his hand for a handshake, but Cameron didn't shake it. He put his hand down, turning to Rachel. "Can I have a minute with him?" Mark asked, gazing down at the child.

"Um, Cam, will you talk to Mark for a bit?" Rachel inquired. Cameron shook his head slightly.

"Please. I'll take you to see the pond over there," Mark suggested, pointing to a nearby crowd of people who fed some ducks that swam in the water.

"Okay," Cameron agreed in a low voice. He uncertainly trailed behind Mark. They followed a path down to the pond's edge, stopping near the bank. Cameron stared out at the water, watching as a few ducks merrily swam past.

"Nice day isn't it?" Mark began, breaking the silence between them.

"I guess," Cameron answered unenthusiastically.

"Did your Mom tell you I was meeting you here?" Mark questioned, hoping to get the little boy to talk.

"No, it was just going to be me, Mommy and Uncle Ross," Cameron responded gruffly.

"We're going to be spending a lot more time together Cameron," Mark announced. He was confused, had Rachel not mentioned anything to their son? He thought Cameron would be happy to meet him.

"Why?" Cameron inquired. He held a hand above his eyes as he squinted through the sun up at Mark.

"Wow, you don't know the secret, do you?" Mark said in disbelief; Rachel hadn't told Cameron that he was his father.

"What secret? I want to know the secret," Cameron spoke excitedly.

"Well, Cameron, I'm you Dad," Mark revealed.

…..

Meanwhile, Rachel had returned to Ross' side. Their attention focused on the conversation between Mark and Cameron. The two stood by the water Cameron with his hands in his pocket, Mark with a smile plastered across his face. They stood in silence, although they couldn't hear a word Mark was saying.

"Do you remember the night we slept together for one last time?" Ross asked turning to face Rachel head on. Ross couldn't take it any longer.

"I remember. It was the night before you left," Rachel stated. "It was a night I'll never forget."

"It was pretty amazing, wasn't it?" Ross asked. The memory drifted back into his mind, making him smile.

"It was. I used to think about it all the time," Rachel confessed.

"Me too, but recently I've been thinking about it a lot," Ross disclosed. "Do you think that was the night where…" Ross trailed off. He knew Rachel understood what he implied. Her confusion quickly faded to comprehension.

"You could be right. You could have gotten me pregnant," Rachel realized aloud.

"That's exactly what I thought," Ross exclaimed.

"I had just assumed it was Mark's baby. I guess it made most sense to me at the time," Rachel explained her thinking.

"I wish I had told you sooner, but I didn't know how to say it," Ross admitted, but Rachel was distracted.

"Now it makes perfect sense. The parts of Cameron's personality I couldn't explain, his hazel eyes that always reminded me of yours, his knowledge… he is exactly like you. I couldn't find any of Mark in him but I brushed it aside. I guess his middle name was a good choice," Rachel rambled. She stopped for a moment, gazing into Ross' eyes, "it makes so much sense now."

"We can be a family," Ross whispered. His words brought tears to Rachel's eyes. She stepped towards him slowly, closing the gap between them. Her lips were only inches away from his, when she paused to smile.

"I'd like that very much," She whispered, her hot breath on Ross' lips.

"Rachel! Rachel!" Marks voice yelled, intruding on the tender moment. Both Ross and Rachel sighed with annoyance as they stepped apart. They watched Mark running towards them, out of breath.

"What's wrong? Where's Cameron?" Rachel questioned as soon as Mark came within hearing distance. Her son was not with him, and she was panicked. She tried to look past him to see where Cameron was.

"He ran off, he just ran," Mark huffed, trying to calm his breathing.

"What?! Why?" Rachel questioned raising her voice significantly.

"I told him the truth. I told him I was his father," Mark admitted, finally able to speak.

"And he just ran?" Ross asked, as he wrapped an arm around Rachel who was panic stricken.

"He said 'you're not my dad' and then ran in that direction," Mark explained. He pointed back towards the pond.

"And you didn't stop him?" Rachel said shrilly.

"He ran so fast, and then ducked through that crowd of people, I lost sight of him," Mark defended.

"You couldn't take care of him for two minutes…" Rachel seethed. She couldn't believe how distracted she was, she couldn't keep an eye on her own son. Now Mark had let him run off.

"He couldn't have gone far," Mark stated, trying to calm Rachel down. "We will find him."

"We _will_ find him Rach," Ross confirmed, he held her closer to him trying to calm her down. She shook against his side, whether it was with anger or fear or a combination of both.

"We can get the rest of our friends, I can call them right now," Rachel suggested. Quickly, she struggled to open her purse to search for her phone, her knees still shook. She worried that something bad had happened to her son.

"Don't worry about them Rach," Ross said softly. Rachel furrowed her brow as she looked at him.

"What are you talking about Ross?" Rachel asked, wondering why he wasn't panicked as well. He didn't seem flustered, in fact he looked confident.

"You go back to the apartment and calm down. I guarantee you I know exactly where he is," Ross stated positively.

"Are you sure? Maybe I should come," Rachel suggested.

"I'll go alone, he'll listen to me – he might be mad at you. I'll bring him home," Ross stated. He reassured Rachel by gazing pleadingly into her eyes.

"He trusts you Ross… I trust you," Rachel confirmed.

Ross gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before he headed in the direction he was certain he'd find Cameron.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: I'm sorry to say that I've come to a decision: I will be taking an indefinite break from writing stories. I don't know if I'll be back, but this will probably be my last story.**

**Enjoy this chapter; the epilogue will be posted soon.**

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

The afternoon sun had dimmed into a warm evening glow, mostly caused by the many street lamps and city lights. Ross had a difficult time seeing the small figure that sat on the steps, but he knew it was him.

His prediction was correct, he had found Cameron.

Ross was as quiet as possible as he climbed up the stairs; Cameron did not as glance up at him. The little boy sat with his knees pulled to his chest, arms wrapped around his legs, his tear-filled gaze was focused on the ground in front of his feet. Ross didn't say a word; he just took a seat on the step, next to Cameron.

"I knew I'd find you here," Ross whispered after a long moment of silence. Cameron looked at him with his wide eyes that could not hide the emotion he felt.

"I didn't want to go anywhere else," Cameron explained in a rough whisper.

"Why did you choose the museum?" Ross asked as he gestured to the vast building. He was curious why Cameron chose to run off to the Museum of Natural History.

"I knew you'd come here when you came to work in the morning, I was waiting for you to find me," Cameron described, his voice still low as if he was sharing a secret.

"You scared us by running away like that," Ross scolded gently.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think, I just ran," Cameron explained, hanging his head with guilt. He began to whimper slightly as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Hey, hey, it's alright Cam, you're safe now," Ross said. He tenderly touched Cameron's arm.

"Mark told me the truth… he told me he is my Dad. I didn't want that stranger to be my Dad, I didn't like him, so I ran," Cameron revealed, glancing up at Ross.

"You didn't like him?" Ross inquired.

"No. I like you _a lot_ better. Why can't you be with Mommy?" Cameron spoke, looking at Ross with pleading eyes.

"I-I, um… oh, speaking of your Mom, we should call her," Ross said, swiftly changing the subject. He hurriedly pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing Rachel's number as soon as it was in his hand.

"Ross?" Rachel's voice said as soon as she picked up.

"Yes, it's me. I found Cameron, he's safe here with me, so calm down," Ross declared in a rush. He could hear her sigh with relief.

"Thank you Ross, thank you," Rachel whispered breathlessly.

"It's no problem. I'll bring him to your place right now," Ross responded, noticing that Cameron watched him as he spoke into the cell phone.

"Thank you, see you soon," Rachel concluded with a smile spreading across her face.

"Bye, Rach," Ross answered, hanging up the phone.

Rachel put her cell phone back into her purse, before finally being able to sit down and relax slightly.

It was only Mark and her in apartment 20, he had insisted on making sure his son got home safely. Rachel was just thankful that Monica was not home from work yet. From the comfort of the chair, he observed Rachel as she took a seat on the couch.

"So?" He asked the moment she sat down.

"He found Cam, they're on their way home," Rachel spoke softly. She withheld her excitement. She couldn't bring herself to express her joy when she had to tell him the truth about Cameron not being his son.

"I'm so happy, I was so worried," Mark said with delight.

"Mark, I can't do this, I have to tell you something," Rachel admitted, she couldn't meet his eyes.

"What is it Rachel, sweetheart?" Mark asked, scooting forward on the chair so he could take her hands in his. Rachel cringed at the pet name he had used. She drew her hands from his grasp, causing a frown to appear on Mark's face.

"There's a chance Cameron might not be your son after all," Rachel confessed, feeling tears sting her eyes as she admitted it. She became very nervous when he was silent.

"You slept with someone else while we were dating?" Mark questioned after a while. His temper was rising rapidly.

"Well, um, yes," Rachel stuttered fearfully.

"Does this guy know?" Mark asked.

"Yeah, Ross is the one who pointed it out," Rachel responded, before realizing her slip up. She could see Mark grow more furious.

"I want a DNA test, I want solid proof," Mark bellowed. His voice echoed throughout the apartment.

"I will do that Mark, I think we'd all feel better," Rachel answered timidly, trying to calm him down.

"Here I was, thinking we could get back together over this kid…" Mark muttered.

"No matter what the results, I know it's best for me and my son if I'm with Ross," Rachel spoke.

"But, if Cameron is mine, wouldn't you consider being with me?" Mark inquired. Rachel shook her head.

"If you are the father I would still choose Ross... I love him," Rachel answered honestly.

"I guess I'll just go then," Mark stated, his courage abolished.

"Didn't you say you wanted to stay to see Cameron?" Rachel remembered as Mark stood up from his seat.

"I just need to go. Send me the results of the DNA test as soon as you get them," Mark stressed, tensely. Then he hastily marched out the apartment door without a goodbye.

Rachel had not moved from her position on the couch the entire time. She felt her muscles relax as soon as Mark closed the door behind him. She let out a sigh, for a moment there she thought Mark would get violent.

The more she thought about her day the better she felt. She knew in her heart that Cameron's father was Ross.

As she sat in the noiseless room she recalled the time they went to the park: Ben, Cameron, Ross and her. Ben and Cameron had immediately become comfortable around each other. Their time was filled with laughter and fun; not one of them wanted the day to end.

She had stood watching as Ross chased after the two boys, each running in an opposite direction only made the game more exciting. She rarely saw Ross so carefree, so playful. He soon ran out of breath, bending over with his hands on his knees. Ben and Cameron approached their chaser, asking if he was okay. That was when Ross jumped up and grabbed them both, sending the two boys into uncontrollable laughter.

It warmed her heart to see him with the boys. At that time, she hadn't heard Ross' suspicions, but even then she wanted to have Ross be a part of her family.

She couldn't believe that Ross and Cameron had only known each other for a few weeks; they acted as though they had always known one another. The way her son had warmed up to Ross was unlike anything she'd ever seen; he had never been this comfortable with unfamiliar people. There wasn't a hint of shyness in his appearance, which was a common trait of Cameron's.

It all made perfect sense now. If only she could have known sooner so Mark didn't have to ruin their day.

She shook off her thoughts about Mark, focusing solely on the fact that her son would be home any minute, along with Ross.

When the door opened, a few minutes later, Rachel rushed to stand. Cameron was in her arms, before she knew it. She hugged him tight, smiling at Ross over the little boy's shoulder.

"He was at the museum," Ross explained. That's when Cameron pulled out of the hug so he could look at Rachel.

"I was going to wait for Ross to find me in the morning when he came to work. I don't like Mark, I like Ross," Cameron stated. Rachel found herself holding back tears of happiness.

"Cam, honey, do you mind going to your room to play so us grown-ups can talk?" Rachel asked, still crouched at her son's level.

"Okay," Cameron responded, before he obeyed his mother's request. When he had closed the door, Rachel approached Ross.

"Where did Mark go?" Ross inquired - it was the first thing he wondered when he found Rachel alone.

"He left after I told him the truth," Rachel confessed, Ross seemed shocked.

"You told him about, um, me?" Ross asked, for clarification.

"I did," Rachel admitted.

"He was angry, wasn't he?" Ross cringed.

"He was. Then he demanded a DNA test," Rachel explained, reliving the confrontation in her thoughts.

"It would be a good idea," Ross responded, hoping he wouldn't hurt her feelings by siding with Mark.

"I know it is. But, I think I already know what the father is. I want to thank him for finding Cameron," Rachel said, smiling at Ross coyly.

"I love that little boy," Ross responded sweetly. Rachel's eyes filled with tears once more.

"I realized something tonight," Rachel began, making Ross curious to hear what she wanted to say.

"And what's that?"

"My son needs you in his life. Even if you're not his father, he needs you," Rachel confessed.

"Do you need me?" Ross wondered aloud.

"I need you more than words can say. I love you," Rachel stated, the words just flowed naturally from her lips before she could stop and think.

"I love you too Rach," Ross responded. His words pleased Rachel to a great extent. She closed the space between them kissing him passionately on the lips. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her as close to his chest as he could.

They pulled away after a few seconds, not wanting to accidentally be seen by Cameron. They still stood close to one another, tears rolled down Rachel's cheeks.

"When you left, when you were away from me-," Rachel whispered, but Ross put a finger on her lips.

"You don't have to talk about that," Ross stated, softly.

"But I want you to know that when you were away from me, it was as if a part of me went with you. I missed you so much," Rachel admitted, feeling the need to confess her feelings fully.

"I missed you too Rachel, I thought about you all the time," Ross responded. He reached out to gently wipe a tear that glistened down her face.

"I gave Cameron your name as his middle name so it could feel like a part of you was here with us," Rachel disclosed.

"It turned out to be a very fitting choice, didn't it?" Ross pointed out, the truth in his words made Rachel laugh slightly.

"You're very right," Rachel chuckled.

"I promise I will never leave you again. I won't let you go again," Ross stated, emphasising his point by taking her hand in his.

"I'm ready to take this to the next step, especially since Cameron seems to be more than happy to be around you," Rachel declared, sounding more serious.

"What do you say we skip a few steps?" Ross suggested. He almost laughed at how sweet it was that Rachel looked so confused.

"What did you have in mind?" She asked, in dire need of clarification. He took both of Rachel's hands before he spoke.

"What if you and Cameron moved in with me?" Ross proposed, watching her carefully.

"That is skipping a few steps…" Rachel commented, causing Ross' face to slowly fall. "But, I think that is certainly something we can do," She smiled, cheering Ross up completely.

They didn't have to say anything more; their eyes and smiles said everything for them. Rachel quickly pulled Ross into a hug. She sighed deeply as he held her in his arms, it felt so nice.

"Mommy?" Cameron's voice called from behind her. The two immediately stepped away from each other to face the bedroom. Cameron peered through the doorway, watching them curiously.

"Hi Cam, what is it sweetheart?" Rachel asked, nervous after being caught off-guard by the young boy.

"Are you going to be with Ross?" Cameron inquired, looking from Ross to Rachel with his expressive hazel eyes.

"I am, honey," Rachel confirmed. She smiled at Ross when Cameron began to seem excited by the news.

"Is that alright with you?" Ross asked even though he could tell how Cameron felt by his wide grin.

"That is _more_ than alright with me," Cameron responded enthusiastically. Ross and Rachel just looked at each other, both were beaming with happiness. "Do you know what this means?" Cameron asked the two adults.

"No, what does this mean?" Rachel responded, with interest.

"We can finally be a family of lobsters," Cameron exclaimed. Ross and Rachel began to laugh, they couldn't believe their ears.

"I think someone's been spending too much time around Phoebe," Rachel chuckled.

"Come here," Ross said to Cameron; he bent down with his arms outstretched. Cameron didn't hesitate to accept the invitation, he ran across the room to Ross. Cameron wrapped his little arms around Ross' neck as he was lifted off the ground in a hug. When the little boy pulled away, Ross ruffled his light-brown hair.

Rachel joined in on the group hug. Little did Cameron know, he was sharing a hug with his both of his real parents. Ross and Rachel would reveal the truth to him when the time was right. For the time being they just enjoyed their hug.

It felt incredible to be together at last. It felt so good to finally know what the future held.

They truly would be a family of lobsters.


	14. Epilogue

**AN: I'm sorry that this all has to end and that it came as such a shock. I'm just burnt out and it's time to quit while I'm ahead. **

**I truly loved writing fanfictions; I will always love Friends and Ross and Rachel. It's just time for me to move on, start a new chapter in my own life. **

**Thank you all for being such amazing fans, thanks for reviewing, reading and genuinely liking my writing. Also, a special thank you to Cybermals, I Heart Ross and Rachel and any other dedicated readers - I have too many of you to list. **

**So, for the last time, please enjoy. **

**Disclaimer: The characters from Friends do not belong to me.**

* * *

The atmosphere in the cramped space was filled partially with excitement and partially with nerves. Ross had been through this before, many years ago, and reliving this experience hadn't stopped bringing back memories all day.

The bright lights around the mirror shone into his eyes as he looked at his reflection. Long gone was his head of perfect dark brown hair, in its place was brown hair with grey throughout. Still, he styled it every day with his signature hair gel. A light dusting of makeup covered his face, but his gentle wrinkles still crinkled in all their regular places. He certainly was older than he was the last time he sat in this chair, waiting for his cue.

He glanced to his left, smiling at the man in the chair beside him. He watched as the makeup artist finished with the man's hair and began brushing makeup onto his face. The woman stood back, studying her work.

Cameron caught his father staring at him from his own chair.

"What? What's wrong?" Cameron questioned, in a panic he examined his appearance in the mirror in front of him.

"You look great. Nothing's wrong at all, Cam. Or should I say Doctor Geller," Ross responded, with a chuckle.

Cameron laughed with Ross; it was strange to hear his father address him so formally. He adjusted the name tag on his lab coat. It read: _Dr. Cameron Geller, PhD_.

He had followed in his father's footsteps; he had become a paleontologist as well. His father had been his roll model ever since he was little. They would visit the museum together, they would joke around and they would discuss their common interests; they shared a special bond.

Ross smiled to himself as the makeup artist returned to preparing Cameron. He had grown into a handsome young man; in fact, he looked a lot like Ross did when he was younger. He certainly had his father's eyes and face shape, but his dark blonde hair was a good mix of both his parents.

"There, finished," The woman commented, as she put her foundation back into her makeup box. "Is there anything else I can touch up?" She asked as she tidied her work station.

"Not unless you can do something about my grey hair," Ross commented as he ran his hand over it.

"I can't help you there," The stylist laughed. "I'll tell them you're ready when they are." Ross and Cameron nodded, and then she left.

Suddenly, Ross felt a different hand caress his hair. He glanced in the mirror to see Rachel standing behind him.

"You don't like your grey hair? I think it's sexy," Rachel whispered in Ross' ear.

Ross loved the way Rachel had aged gracefully, her wonderful body included. Rachel had matured, but Ross swore she was just as beautiful as the day he married her.

"Hey you," Ross said, greeting her in their usual way.

"Hey you. Just thought I'd drop by and see how you two were doing. Monica and Chandler called to wish you luck," Rachel explained, but Ross seemed distracted.

"Phoebe and Joey called this morning," Ross declared, but his eyes were focused on Cameron.

"That's good, honey…. Is there, um, something on your mind?" Rachel asked, unable to understand her husband's stare. She assumed it was nerves, Cameron sure seemed nervous as well.

"I was just thinking of the day we got the results, the day Cameron officially became my son."

He remembered it like it was yesterday.

He had gone down to get the mail as Rachel and Cameron continued to unpack, moving in to his apartment.

Ross had decided to read the letters as he walked towards the stairs: a few bills, and then a very interesting letter. It was clear that the envelope contained an important document; Ross' heart had begun to pound. It was finally there: the answer.

Ross ran up the stairs, skipping every other tread as he climbed. He had barged in the door, holding out the letter to Rachel.

"It's here," he exclaimed. Rachel took the letter from his hand, reading the front with her own eyes.

She then looked around the room, finding that Cameron was nowhere in sight. She tore the envelope open, pulling out the report that was tucked inside. Ross took her hand in his, they were almost 100% certain Ross was the father, but this was the official answer. She had read it out loud - Ross still remembered every word.

"Mother: Green, Rachel Karen; Child: Green, Cameron Ross; Alleged Father: Geller, Ross Eustace," Rachel read from the top of the form. "Conclusion: The alleged father, Ross Eustace Geller, cannot be excluded as the biological father of Cameron Ross Green. Based on the genetic testing results, probability of paternity is 99.999%; therefore, Ross Eustace Geller is determined to be the father of Cameron Ross Green."

Rachel's tears had fallen onto Ross' shoulder as he pulled her into a hug. He was the father; he was truly Cameron's father.

Back in the present, Rachel kissed the top of Ross' head, recalling that same memory in her own way.

Shortly after they received the letter they told Cameron the truth about everything. They had debated over whether or not to wait to tell him when he was older, but they knew he was a bright kid and that he would understand.

Rachel had never seen her son cry that way; when they told him that Ross was actually his father, not Mark. The little boy leaped into Ross' arms, crying tears of joy. He told them how happy he was that Ross was his dad and that he loved Ross.

It was hard to not relive such a touching memory every time she saw Ross and Cameron sharing a sweet moment. From that day on, father and son were inseparable. No wonder Cameron followed in Ross' footsteps. He had finally gotten the father he needed in his life.

A few months after moving into Ross' apartment, it was Cameron's fifth birthday. After all the presents were opened and the cake was eaten, everyone sat in the living room.

By that time all their friends knew who the father was. They had told them all together, one day at Monica's apartment. Monica had revealed that she already knew, but couldn't be happier that she was truly Cameron's aunt. The rest of the gang were over the moon that Ross and Rachel could not only be together, but also be a family for Cameron.

At Cameron's fifth birthday party, the birthday boy walked over to his mother; he climbed into her lap.

"I have a present for you Mommy," Cameron had exclaimed. To this day, Rachel still remembered his sweet little voice, even if he was a grown man now.

"What do you mean? All the presents are for you today," Rachel explained, unsure what her son was up to.

"But this one has your name on it," Cameron had said, holding out the gift for his mother to see the nametag.

Rachel had taken the small present from her five-year-old. Unwrapping the gift she uncovered a small velvet box; she carefully opened the hinged top. Inside was a sparkling diamond ring.

Ross dropped to one knee beside her. Rachel sat there in shock. His words still lingered in her memory, as she stared down at the diamond ring she wore to this day.

"I asked Cameron to help me propose to you, it was his idea to do it on his birthday so you wouldn't see it coming. Rachel, I love you with all my heart. We've learned that our love can survive the ups and downs and even having an ocean between us. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and Cameron. Rachel, will you marry me?" Ross proposed.

The whole room was silent, Monica and Phoebe cried along with Rachel. They waited on the edge of their seats for Rachel to speak.

"Mommy, say yes," Cameron whispered to Rachel, which made her tears fall even more.

"Yes, Ross, I'll marry you," she answered. Ross slid the ring onto his fiancée's finger, then the room erupted into a chorus of congratulations and excitement about the wedding. Monica called dibs on planning it.

Cameron had committed the wedding to memory, even if he had only been six years old. He was the ring bearer and his parents let him stand up front with Joey and Chandler, the groomsmen, and Phoebe and Monica, the bridesmaids. The next year, his Aunt Monica and Uncle Chandler got married; where, again, he got to be the ring bearer.

The sunset was behind them, the blue water stretching as far as the eye could see, it all took place on a cliff in Barbados.

He remembered watching his mom in her elegant white wedding gown, thinking she was beautiful. Mother and son shared a special look when she took her vows, almost as if she made sure Cameron was included in the marriage.

He had his last name changed to Geller along with his mother when they returned to New York.

Cameron currently looked at his mother from his makeup chair with the same eyes he had as a child, soft, hazel and full of life.

That was when everyone's thoughts were interrupted by the director. He was the same director who had been with the show all those years ago, when Ross had first been hired. It was the director's last season filming, so he had decided to bring back all his favourite scientists to be panelists.

He had phoned Ross' office one day; he explained that he'd be filming in New York and he was wondering if Ross wanted to do a guest appearance in an episode. Ross agreed to do it, overjoyed to return to the show he had adored being a part of so long ago.

Before the director ended the phone call, he asked if Ross knew of any other paleontologists that would be willing to come on the show. Ross listed a few that he still kept in touch with after he had left the show. Then Ross asked if the director was looking for any new scientists. When the director expressed his need for a few fresh faces Ross suggested Cameron. And the rest is history.

"Doctor Geller, it's so good to have you back at the studio," The director exclaimed, shaking Ross' hand.

"Thank you for having me back," Ross responded.

"And this is your son. Wow, he's an exact replica of you when you were his age," The man commented, walking over to shake Cameron's hand.

"Thank you for this opportunity," Cameron stated, as he shook the man's hand.

"Your father was a valuable panelist in his prime, of course we were thrilled that you, his son, would be here with him. Not only that, but I've heard great things about you young man," The director explained.

"We need everyone on set," A voice called from outside the dressing room door.

"I guess that's our cue," Ross concluded, climbing out of his chair.

"Yes, we can catch up later, let's get to the set," The director exclaimed as he walked out the door.

"Good luck," Rachel said, kissing Ross on the lips and then stood on tiptoe to hug her son who was much taller than her.

She followed them out onto the set. They allowed the family to wait off camera and watch the taping. Rachel was nervous for her husband and son, but she had company to keep her calm.

…..

Rachel glanced at her watch, hoping that the taping didn't take much longer; she had a surprise for Cameron and Ross. She did enjoy watching her loved ones, they were both doing great.

"… A special thank you to Doctor Ross Geller and his son, Doctor Cameron Geller for their participation on today's episode. As you all know, today is my last day and I wouldn't want anyone other than these people on my final show. Thank you everyone and we'll see you next week," The director said, taking an opportunity to step in front of the camera. "Cut, and that's a wrap," he finished, before returning to his chair behind the camera.

Ross and Cameron stepped down from the set chatting about how amazing the fossils were and how much fun it was.

"Dad! Cam!" an excited voice shouted. Before Ross and Cameron knew it they were being hugged by the rest of their family. When they let go they were able to talk.

"You did so great," Emma commented, excitedly. She was still in college and was so happy she didn't have classes today; she didn't want to miss her father and brother being on TV.

Ross and Rachel had Emma when Cameron was seven; she was a welcome addition to their family. They lived out Ross' fantasy of having two babies, a boy and a girl. While Cameron was exactly like Ross, Emma was an exact copy of Rachel: blonde hair, blue eyes and a bright smile.

"How did you feel, Ross, being out there again?" Rachel asked as the family of four returned to Ross and Cameron's dressing room.

"It was… strange. It, uh, brought back a few bad memories," Ross admitted, as he walked with an arm around Rachel.

"Bad memories?" Rachel questioned, looking up at his face in confusion.

"Yes, about being separated from you when I was travelling with these people," Ross explained in a low voice.

"I thought about that too, but, you know, to me it wasn't necessarily a bad memory," Rachel decided.

"Why not?" Ross inquired.

"Because it reminds me of when you proposed to me and you said that our love survived having the ocean between us. It reminded me how much I love you," Rachel explained. Ross was touched by her words, and he gave her a quick kiss.

"Mom, don't we need to go?" Emma said through gritted teeth.

"We do," Rachel remembered. Then she turned to Ross and Cameron. "Come on, we have a surprise for you two."

The four of them exited the room shortly.

…..

They arrived outside of an elegant restaurant, Ross and Cameron both gave the girls confused looks.

"Are you taking us out to dinner?" Cameron asked as they all stepped out of the taxi they had arrived in.

"You'll see in a minute," Emma responded, impatiently, she had been questioned by her older brother the entire ride there.

The family entered the restaurant, but instead of asking to be seated Rachel led the way to a room in the back. When Rachel led them through a set of double doors and into a large room, Ross and Cameron couldn't believe their eyes.

Everyone was there for dinner. Monica and Chandler were there with their teenaged twins: Jack and Erica. Phoebe and her husband Mike were there with their three kids Lily, Sophia and Adam. The biggest surprise was that Joey was there. He was back from LA with his fiancée Eva. Not only were the group of friends there but Carol, Susan and Ben also attended.

After greeting everyone and catching up they all sat down to dinner.

"You did all this for us?" Ross asked Rachel when they got an opportunity to talk.

"It's a special occasion, and we needed a reason to get together," Rachel stated with a smile.

"Thanks, Rach," Ross said.

The rest of the evening was wonderful, everyone chatted just like old times. They stayed until late in the night, but eventually everyone had to head home. Joey promised he would come back more often so they could get together more. They all said their goodbyes before go their separate ways.

Ross, Rachel and Emma dropped Cameron off at his apartment before going to their own home. Now that Cameron was an adult he lived in his own place near the museum, where he worked. Ross and Rachel had moved out to Westchester when Emma was born. They still lived in a house near Monica and Chandler.

"Bye Cam," Rachel said as her son got out of Ross' car in front of his apartment.

"Wait one second," Ross stated, hurriedly. He then exited the car as well.

"Don't be too long," Rachel said, before Ross closed the car door.

"What's wrong, Dad?" Cameron asked when he turned to see his father behind him.

"I just wanted to tell you that I couldn't be more proud of you Cam," Ross stated, sharing a meaningful look with his son.

"Thanks Dad," Cameron responded softly.

"You know what today reminded me of, when we were on that set looking at fossils?" Ross asked his son.

"No Dad, I don't know," Cameron answered, interested in what his father was going to say.

"I couldn't place it at first, but then it came to me. It was the way your eyes lit up when you saw the fossils. It reminded me of the first time I took you to the museum. That was the day I knew you had to be my son," Ross explained, tearing up slightly.

"That was the day I knew you were my Dad," Cameron revealed, he had never told that to anyone. However, Cameron had known it after that day with Ross, that he was his father. He thought no one would believe him, that it was just too much of a coincidence. Now it had come spilling from his mouth that he had known too. "I didn't know how to say these words," he admitted after Ross was speechless.

"Thank you, Cam, thank you for telling me that," Ross spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. Even in the dim streetlight, they could see that they were both crying.

"I love you Dad," Cameron stated, hugging his father tightly. Ross gave him a few loving pats before they stepped apart.

"I love you too, I'll see you tomorrow at work," Ross stated, knowing he had to get back to Rachel and Emma who waited for him in the car.

"Bye," Cameron waved, and then he continued back to his building.

Ross climbed back into the driver's seat. He put on his seatbelt and started the engine, not after pulling away from the curb did he notice Rachel's questioning stare.

"I just had to tell him something, and coincidentally he did too," Ross explained.

"Like father, like son," Rachel chuckled. She didn't ask for more information, she figured it was a conversation to be left between the two of them.

"We are certainly alike, more alike than I knew," Ross mentioned, knowing Rachel would not understand what he referenced. "He's a good man."

"Only because he had a good roll model," Rachel commented. Ross smiled at her; he would show her how much that comment meant to him when they could be alone together.

The future was once an unknown place that both Ross and Rachel were afraid of.

The past had certainly been heartbreaking and difficult; they had to learn how to overcome many challenges and obstacles.

But, pain is only temporary, love is not.

A step at a time they found a way to face the unknown, and that made it less terrifying. In fact Ross and Rachel looked forward to watching their future unfold. Why? Because they would be side by side; they would be together.

They truly were a family of lobsters.

* * *

**AN: Friends is, and always will be, too good to be true. Goodbye everyone.**


End file.
